Social respect

Zhang said she still gets emotional when reminiscing on how far Chinese society has come in treating people with disabilities.

In 1984, when she attended the founding ceremony of the China Welfare Foundation for Disabled Persons, the predecessor to the China Foundation for Disabled Persons, her eyes filled with tears when she saw the word canjiren (people with disabilities) in the title.

"Until then, people with disabilities had been called canfeiren, which literally means 'disabled and useless people'," she said. "It was such a small change, but it reflected society's renewed attitudes and respect for people with disabilities."

The key reason for this change in society is the long-term support of the Chinese government to people with disabilities, Zhang said.

In recent years, social security measures such as allowances for people in financial difficulty and nursing care subsidies for people with severe disabilities have benefited over 26 million people, with over 7.1 million registered impoverished disabled people being lifted out of absolute poverty.

"Some with disabilities not only see their own lives improve, but also take on the role of helping their neighbors and villagers to live better lives," Zhang said. Thirty-one such people were awarded by the CPC Central Committee and State Council for their contributions to fighting poverty.

"The goal of our work is to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities and to build a foundation for them to be included in society," she said. This includes providing more rehabilitation, education and employment opportunities.

Helping severely disabled people is often the most difficult task because their families may have to quit school or a job to take care of them. This places enormous pressure on themselves and their family members, she said.

Governments at various levels are proactively finding ways to help such people. One example can be found in Zhumadian, Henan province, where the local government has established over 100 care facilities to help more than 2,000 disabled people.