National Standard of Disability Types and Gradation Takes into Effect on May 1st

The first national standard for types of disability and grades defining people with a disability takes effect on May 1st. It is said this standard will help provide better services for people with disabilities. At the same time, more work still needs to be done for the disabled. Our reporter Zhang Cheng has the details.

The national standard divides disability types into visual, hearing, speech and physical disability; as well as mental retardation, mental disorder, and multiple disabilities. Each kind is graded into 4 levels.

Chen Xinmin, Director of research division of China Disabled Person's Federation says this national standard will help provide better services for the disabled.

"It helps enhance the management of issues relating to disabled people, especially providing better services for them. Disabled people with disability cards can enjoy benefits, such as free public transportation and free admission into parks."

Chen Xinmin says this standard is based on the evaluation criteria for disabilities taken in the second sample survey of disabled in 2006.

Ge Zhongming, professor of sociology at Shandong University says this standard is stricter than that of developed countries.

"Our standards are stricter. Therefore, our disabled population makes up 6% of the overall population. It covers a smaller ratio of the whole population than that in developed countries, which can be as high as 20%."

Ge Zhongming calls for more money to be spent on disabled people and a balanced service system for them.

"Welfare spending on disabled people in China is much lower than that in developed countries. At the same time, the service resources are unequally distributed. Rehabilitation centers and service centers can be found mainly in urban areas. However, nearly 80% of disabled people in China come from rural areas."

Welfare spending on disabled people accounts for 5% of the total GDP in Sweden, in the US, it is 1%.

Ge believes disabled people should be treated as people with different abilities. Providing more welfare to them may inspire them to reach their full potential.

For CRI, I'm Zhang Cheng.