Equality in education urged for disabled

China Daily

Equality in education urged for disabled

20th May 2013

China should make continuous efforts to enable disabled students to have equal access to education, as the latest monitoring results show tens of thousands of children with disabilities have been excluded from public education, a senior national political adviser said.

Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, said about 83,000 school-age children with disabilities nationwide did not go to school in 2011.

This is according to monitoring results based on a reporting system launched by her organization and the Ministry of Education.

"I did not go to school in my childhood because of disability, so I really understand disabled children's desire (for schooling)," the 58-year-old said.

Zhang has used a wheelchair since she was 5 years old because of a tumor in her spine.

She said she and her colleagues from the country's disabled people's federations have been devoted to promoting the concept of inclusive education by removing barriers for children with disabilities to attend ordinary schools.

Their efforts have started to pay off.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-03/05/content_16275715.htm