About 83 million people in China have some form of disability, among them, 10 million are of schooling age, according to statistics from the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

However, by the end of 2010, there were only 16 special education colleges nationwide, which due to a lack of funds were only able to enroll about 3,000 disabled students, said Zhuang Shufan, vice-president of Changchun University in Northeast China's Jilin province.

In addition, the special education colleges provide only limited options for disabled students, such as massage and painting, Zhuang said.

Shi Huimin, a mother of a 16-year-old girl suffering from cerebral palsy, urged the government to establish more vocational schools for disabled students.

"At present, our children (with disabilities) can only stay at home after finishing the nine-year compulsory education," said Shi, who is a member of the Beijing Parents' Association for Persons with Mental Disabilities.

"Vocational schools for the disabled are so rare and those that exist only accept children whose disabilities are not severe," she said.

According to the draft regulations, authorities across the country will be required to set up special funds dedicated to improving disabled people's access to quality education.

Moreover, all general schools and higher education institutions will be urged to become barrier free.