Zhang Xingjuan Productive inclusionJiangsu factory empowers people with disabilities through personal growth

China Daily

4^th December 2025

Zhang Xingjuan  Productive inclusion

Jiangsu factory empowers people with disabilities through personal growth

By Li Lei in Taicang

Editor's note: Wednesday marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This is the first installment of a three-part series in which China Daily explores new trends and developments in promoting employment for people with disabilities — a key government priority for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

In an industrial area of the city of Taicang in East China's Jiangsu province, the whirring of machinery at one factory tells a special story of transformation.

At the Inclusion Factory, employees with intellectual and mental disabilities are not just earning a wage, they are building confidence, mastering skills and integrating into a community that was once largely out of reach.

At the heart of this story is Zhang Xingjuan, a manager whose role transcends job descriptions. Colleagues describe her as a mentor, a maternal figure and a witness to extraordinary personal growth.

Founded in 2014, the Inclusion Factory stands out as a pioneering force in China, championing inclusive employment for workers with conditions including Down syndrome and autism.

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