QINGDAO: As the city welcomes Paralympic sailors from around the world, officials reflected on the 400,000 disabled residents of Qingdao who now have a system of social support.

"Care from the whole society gives the disabled more warmth and happiness," noted Xia Geng, mayor of Qingdao.

Qingdao has highlighted the cause of disabled people with assistance in recovery, education, employment and alleviating poverty through an improved social welfare system for disabled citizens.

The efforts provide disabled people the chance to enjoy benefits from China's reform and opening-up policies that further improve their living standard.

Qingdao set up the goal of rehabilitation service for all, with more than 60,000 disabled people receiving help in recovery over the past five years.

An effort called "Bright Action" has helped 18,000 cataract patients receive operations, including 2,000 exempted from fees. Under the "Yangtze River New Milestone Initiative", 300 handicapped people received artificial limbs and 200 people suffering from severely mentally afflicted have benefited from the plan.

A massage shop run by blind brothers Zhang Dengdian and Zhang Dengshu, living in Fushanhou in Qingdao, opened to customers on September 1.

"I am not a burden of my family anymore and can earn money if our business goes well," said the elder Zhang proudly.

The mechanism for disabled people to receive vocational education and gain employment has been further improved, several measures being taken to increase handicapped people's employment rate.

Over 6,000 disabled people have received vocational training and 3,866 found new jobs over the past five years. Today 90 percent of handicapped people in Qingdao capable of working have jobs, according to local government statistics.

About 90 million yuan in poverty relief subsidies have been granted and 47 poverty alleviation projects have been implemented in Qingdao.

More than 40 centers have been established to assist the handicapped rise from poverty and obtain employment.

Local government subsidies assist 4,500 students who suffer from poverty and disability, or have a family member who does.

It has also invested 72 million yuan in housing projects for the disabled in poor rural areas. The handicapped from 4,600 poor families have had houses repaired or built.

More than 30,000 of the disabled reach minimum living standards through subsidies and grants.

All the disabled in rural areas are covered by new cooperative medical care, while urban unemployed people with severe disabilities receive medical insurance at low cost.

(China Daily 09/10/2008 page24)