Industry News

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China unveiled on Thursday a plan aimed at further improving social security, public services and living standards for people with disabilities over the next five years.

The plan for the protection and development of persons with disabilities during the 15th Five-year Plan period (2026-2030) was released by the State Council Working Committee on Disability, outlining major development targets, policy measures and key service programs for the period.

According to the plan, China will pursue 32 major tasks in seven key areas, including establishing a more sustainable social security and care service system for people with disabilities by 2030, while also creating more comprehensive and higher-quality employment opportunities for them.

It also pledged more precise and efficient basic public services, richer cultural and spiritual life, greater vitality in technology-assisted disability support, and a more inclusive and accessible social environment.

The overall quality of life and development capacity of people with disabilities are expected to further improve over the next five years, according to the plan.

By the end of 2025, about 27.74 million persons with disabilities had participated in the basic old-age insurance program, and 12.96 million were receiving pension benefits, according to the China Disabled Persons' Federation. Among registered persons with disabilities, about 8.9 million were employed.

Under the newly released five-year plan, the average annual growth rate of per capita income of households with disabled members is expected to basically keep pace with the annual growth of Chinese residents' disposable income by 2030. This represents a higher benchmark than during the previous five-year period.

During the 2021-2025 period, the average annual growth rate of per capita income of households with disabled members largely kept pace with China's GDP growth.

"The new target points to the need to increase wage income, business income and property income for disabled households, which will be a much tougher task over the next five years," said Feng Shanwei, deputy secretary-general of China Disability Research Society.

To achieve this goal, efforts will be made to expand employment. The plan said China aims to create jobs for a total of 1 million people with disabilities over next five years.

Authorities will also establish 100 new workshops to support employment for disabled women and expand service outlets offering jobs in sectors such as breakfast services and lottery sales.

According to the plan, China will further improve rehabilitation and care services for people with disabilities during the period. The coverage rate of basic rehabilitation services, which exceeded 85 percent during the past five years, will be raised by five percentage points.

The country will work to maintain that 95 percent of people with disabilities enjoy medical insurance and at least 97 percent of school-age disabled children receive compulsory education.

Statistics and data governance related to persons with disabilities will be a major priority in the coming five years. China plans to launch its third national sample survey on people with disabilities during the 2026-2030 period, updating national data for the first time since 2006.

The plan also calls for broader accessibility upgrades in public facilities, including hospitals, schools, banks, libraries, museums, theaters, sports venues and tourist attractions. Self-service terminals in sectors such as finance, healthcare and postal services will also enjoy barrier-free upgrades.

China will further promote the use of emerging technologies to support people with disabilities, including research in artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces and robotics, according to the plan.

The plan also encourages wider application of digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things in disability assistance services.