Materials : Country/Review Paper
Country Paper: China
China Disabled Persons’ Federation
Mr. Zhou Jian, Director, Department of Local Organizations, CDPF, Beijing
I. The System of Disabled Persons’ Organizations in China
China is a developing country with an area of 9.6 million square meters
and a population of around 1.3 billion. There are altogether 34
provincial-level administrative districts with 333 cities, 2,861 counties
and 44,067 townships.
It is the sacred mission of the Chinese government as well as China
Disabled Persons’ Federation how to provide practical and effective service
to the 60 million persons with disabilities on such vast land. In March,
1988, against the background of China’s reform and opening-up, the
government ratified the establishment of China Disabled Persons’ Federation.
China Disabled Persons’ Federation (hereafter referred to as “CDPF”),
affirmed by the law and ratified by the State Council, is the unified
national organization of and for persons with various categories of
disabilities. The aim of CDPF is to advocate humanitarianism and develop the
work on disability so as to endure the equal and full participation of
persons with disabilities (PWDs) in social life and their share of material
and cultural wealth of the society.
CDPF is composed of PWDs and their relatives and friends as well as
workers for them. It is an organization with three functions, namely,
representing and protecting the common interests and lawful rights of PWDs;
uniting, educating and serving PWDs; and performing the duties regulated by
the law and fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Government to administrate
and develop the work on disability.
The System of Disabled Persons’ Organizations in China is composed of the
national organization, local organizations and self-help organizations at
the grassroots level.
- The national organization
The highest organ of China Disabled Persons’ Federation is the National
Congress. It meets every five years. Four congresses have been convened up
to now. The National Congress elects the Presidium of CDPF and the Presidium
nominates the President of the Executive Board and approves members of the
Executive Board. The Executive Board is the standing and executive organ of
the Congress and the Presidium. There are five special associations at CDPF,
namely, China Association of the Blind, China Association of the Deaf, China
Association of Persons with Physical Disability, China Association of
Persons with Intellectual Disability, their Relatives and Friends, China
Association of Persons with Mental Illness, their Relatives and Friends.
Local Organizations are set up in accordance with the administrative
divisions. Their nature and tasks are basically the same as those of CDPF.
- Self-help Organizations at the Grassroots Level
The associations of disabled persons are set up in the communities,
villages and large enterprises or social entities where there are a certain
number of disabled persons. The community disabled persons’ association is a
self-help organization of persons with disabilities of various categories.
It receives guidance from the disabled persons’ federation and is
administrated by the residents’ committee in the community. The community
disabled persons’ association hold elected posts of chairperson,
vice-chairperson and executive members. The chairperson is generally the
director the residents’ committee in the community. The vice chairs and
executive members are basically disabled persons of various categories as
well as their relatives and friends. A disabled person is employed to be a
full-time executive member to assist the chairperson in the daily work. The
organization and operation of the disabled persons’ associations in the
villages and large enterprises are similar.
At present disabled persons’ federations are established at different
levels in all the administrative divisions in the mainland of China. By the
end of 2004, there are 31 federations’ of disabled persons at the provincial
level, 333 at the city level, 2,861 at the county level and 44,000 at the
township level. In addition, there are around 80,000 associations of
disabled persons in the communities, 400,000 in the villages and nearly
1,000 in the enterprises where disabled persons are concentrated.
II. Basic Ways to strengthen self-help organizations of disabled persons
at the grassroots level
- Three documents have been released by the State Council to specify the
guidelines and requirements for capacity-building of self-help
organizations of disabled persons at the grassroots level.
- Three meetings have been organized by China Disabled Persons’
Federation with a view to implementing the above three documents and
promoting the capacity-building of self-help organizations of disabled
persons at the grassroots level.
- The leaders of CDPF have paid high importance to the work. In 2003,
Chairman Deng Pufang wrote such inscription during his study tour to the
Xicheng District, Beijing as “To build the community into a cozy home
which disabled persons can see, feel and depend upon”. In 1991, 1995 and
1998 respectively, many work teams have been organized and dispatched to
the grassroots to guide and supervise the work. The footprints of the work
teams have covered over 2,800 cities and counties nationwide.
- A lot of efforts have been made in exploring, summarizing and
introducing good practices.
China started quite late in the capacity-building of self-help
organizations of disabled persons at the grassroots levels and the ways we
have taken somewhat differ from the popular ones in other countries. A lot
of efforts have been made in exploring, summarizing and introducing good
practices. In the course of developing communities in large cities by the
Chinese government, the capacity-building of disabled persons have been
incorporated and some pilot projects are implemented. In 2003, a workshop
is held at a community in Jinnan, provincial capital of Shandong province
to introduce their good working mode.
III. Roles of Self-help Organizations at the Grassroots level
The staff of disabled persons’ association approaches each household with
a disabled person rather than just staying in the office. They grasp the
basic conditions and different needs of disabled persons, set up files and
database and provide personalized and tailored service to disabled persons
accordingly.
- Reflecting the needs of disabled person, representing and protecting
their interests and lawful rights
The disabled persons’ associations actively coordinate to provide free
legal assistance to safeguard the interests and lawful rights of disabled
persons. By the end of 2004, they have solicited and conveyed over 500,000
pieces of opinions from disabled persons and provides legal assistances in
120,000 cases related with disabled persons.
- Providing practical and effective services to disabled persons so that
the problems they face can be solved at the grassroots level
- providing “relay service” for disabled persons
The disabled persons’ associations solicit information regarding the
needs of disabled persons for rehabilitation, education, employment and
poverty alleviation and pass the information to disabled persons’
federation at different levels so that disabled persons’ federation can
organize resources to provide the services to disabled persons. By the
end of 2004, there have been 500 person-times of community based
rehabilitation provided, 700,000 job vacancies in the communities
offered, 850,000 disabled incorporated into the security for basic
living and 90,000 disabled children in the communities given access to
education.
- widely mobilizing the society to serve disabled persons
For the households with disabled members, the disabled persons’
associations take full advantage of self-governing organizations of the
residents, widely mobilizes the society and bring into full play the
available resources to serve disabled persons, such as the campaigns of
assisting the disabled by volunteers, women, youth league members and
leaders, among the neighborhood and partnership with some organizations,
etc.
- Actively organizing various cultural and physical activities to meet
the spiritual needs of disabled persons
The disabled persons’ associations make full use of the activity center
for disabled persons to organize some popular cultural and physical
activities, and carry out quality education so that disabled persons can
enjoy life spiritually. By the end of 2004, around 20,000 activities have
been organized with the participation of 400,000 person-times of disabled
persons.
- Assisting the government in administrating affairs related with
disabled persons and developing the work for disabled persons
The disabled persons’ associations perform some administrative duties
assigned by the government, e.g. assisting in issuing certificates for
disabled persons and implementing preferential policies and measures for
disabled persons and cooperating with disabled persons’ federations and
self-governing organization of residents.
IV. Characteristics of the self-help organization of disabled persons at
the grassroots level in China
- In conformity with the reform and developing trend of the country
The establishment of the disabled persons’ organizations in China starts
from the centre level, and then develops to the localities. Since the
founding of China Disabled Persons’ Federation in 1988, through more than
a decade’s efforts, there has formed an intact organizational and business
system composed of CDPF and local disabled persons’ federations. Since the
beginning of this century, the Chinese government has started to
strengthen the development of communities in large cities by setting up
self-governing organizations of residents in the communities. CDPF took
this opportunity and jointly circulated the Guidelines on Strengthening
Work for Disabled Persons at the Community together with 14 relevant
government departments, including Ministry of Civil Affairs.
- In accordance with the development needs of the undertaking for
disabled persons
Since its inception, CDPF has made a lot of efforts in coordinating with
the government, mobilizing the society, creating a beneficial social
atmosphere and meeting the urgent needs of disabled persons for
rehabilitation, education and employment. However, what we have done still
cannot meet the needs of 60 million PWDs. PWDs are living at the
grassroots, therefore our work should be based at the grassroots. It is
absolutely necessary to an organization among PWDs at the grassroots so
that the services of disabled persons’ federations can reach each person
with disability and different needs of each disabled person can be
reflected at the disabled persons’ federations.
- In line with the idea of equal and full participation of PWDs
The awareness of PWDs to participate in the society is continuously
growing with the implementation of World Program of Action Concerning
Disabled Persons and Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Disabled Persons, the development of the work on disability,
particularly the increasing education level of disabled persons. PWDs need
participate equally not only in social life, but also in the work for
disabled persons. The disabled persons’ federation is a federation of PWDs
and workers for them, while the disabled persons’ association is
self-governing organization with PWDs as the mainstay.
- A network covering each person with disability
At present the government is cutting administrative organs in the rural
areas so as to loosen the tax and fee burden on farmers. With less civil
servants, the disabled persons’ association can make up for the defect so
that the organization of PWDs is truly besides disabled persons.
V. China’s experiences
- The importance and support paid by the governments at all levels
The capacity-building of disabled persons’ organizations at the grassroots
level should depend closely on the governments. The governments should
play a leading role.
- Strong and effectives measures must be taken to promote the work.
China is a developing country. The governments have a lot of businesses to
look after. With the policy and support of the governments, the disabled
persons’ organizations should take strong and effective measures and
promote the work with administrative power.
- The hard and diligent work of the workers for PWDs at the grassroots
- The active participation of PWDs must be mobilized.
The disabled persons’ organizations at the grassroots represent and
safeguard the rights and interests of disabled persons and provide service
for them. While PWDs are enjoying the services, they must be mobilized to
actively participate so that they are not just being helped, but also a
participant in the building of PWDs’ organizations. Only with the
participation of all PWDs, our organization can become more vigorous.
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