Disability in China
[5] Although the frequency of visual, hearing, speech, physical, and intellectual disabilities did not depend on sex or place of residence (urban vs. rural) over time, there was an increase of mental disability across males, females, and rural residents that did not occur among urban inhabitants.
Historically, the general term for people with disabilities was "can fei" (残废), which means "crippled and useless".
However, many derogatory terms are still utilized in common vernacular to describe people with disabilities, such as "sha zi" (傻子), which means idiot.
[6] The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons (1990) states that "a disabled person refers to one who suffers from abnormalities or loss of a certain organ or function, psychologically or physiologically, or in anatomical structure and who has lost wholly or in part the ability to engage in activities in a normal way.
The State and society help make arrangement for the work, livelihood and education of the blind, deaf-mutes, and other handicapped citizens.
Failure to meet this proportion would result in a fee to the employment security fund for disabled persons.
[19] Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the government has provided special education services, and the first schools for the blind and deaf were founded at this time.
[14] However, students with disabilities have been "observed sitting alone, isolated from classroom activities, or have even remained at home, despite the fact that their names are on the registration list.
Parents have reported experiencing blatantly discriminatory behavior from outsiders due to their child's disability.
Furthermore, public schools have been known to not accept children with disabilities, thus denying them the opportunity to access their right to education.
[22] Parents of children with disabilities also report high levels of stress due to meeting the daily needs of their child, interacting with the rest of society, and dealing with pessimism.
According to the College of William and Mary, "these preliminary efforts in turn were advanced by support from Deng Pufang.
[26] In 1968, Deng Pufang was detained by the Red Guards because his father was considered to be a political critic of Chairman Mao Zedong.
[29] As of 2014[update], Deng Pufang remains the Honorary Chairperson on the Presidium of China Disabled Persons' Federation.
According to Qian Zhiling, professor of special education at Beijing Normal University, "Thanks to the Paralympics, the Chinese public are now actively learning about disabled people, rather than, as previously, being horrified by and rejecting them.
Because the Asian Para Games were held in Guangzhou in 2010, the stadiums were renovated to satisfy accessibility requirements and to be barrier-free for individuals with disabilities.
[32] According to Wang Xinxian, the president of the National Paralympic Committee of China, the Asian Para Games "promote awareness of how disabled people take part in social and sports affairs," and also increased the public's awareness to the needs of individuals with disabilities for adequate treatment and political rights.
