The launching ceremony of the campaign for 2022 National Day for Helping the Disabled was held recently at Ningxiang City, China’s Central Hunan Province.

In light of its local conditions, Ningxiang will carry out various non-profit activities in the coming month to lift the employment of the disabled, including publicizing employment policies, providing entrepreneurship and employment assistance and increasing employment protection for the disabled.

By doing so, the city can provide more help for the disabled, protect their rights and lead them towards the goal of common prosperity.

A sharing activity was held after the launching ceremony, in which officials were invited to introduce supporting policies for the disabled, some of the disabled to share their entrepreneurship stories, volunteers to tell their stories in helping the disabled and families with disabled children to express their gratitude.

“Statistics show that there are 85 million disabled people in China. That is to say, one in four families lives with disabled people on average. Those disabled people have their special needs and they need to overcome numerous unimaginable difficulties. So, they need more care and help,” said Shao Qingyun, an official of Hunan Disabled Persons' Federation, who gave a thorough introduction about the development process of the disability cause in China.  

“Although I have a physical disability, I'm so glad that I live in China because I have received a lot of care and help. It is the care and help of our government and the society that has ignited my dream. With resolutions and resilience, I believe that our disabled people can lead a wonderful life!” said He Zhan, a person with third-class body disability, who is now the general manager of Hunan Xinyun Environmental Management Co., Ltd.

He uses his entrepreneurship story to encourage the disabled people like him to fulfill their dreams.

“My son, Jingjing, is five years old now. Whenever I see his innocent and smiling face, I’m so happy at first, and then I begin to cry,” said Liu Muying, who has a son suffering mental retardation from his childhood.

The boy's health has got improved a lot after receiving free treatment thanks to a rescue rehabilitation project for disabled children between 0 and 14, making the mother full of gratitude.

“I hope that more and more people would join us in helping and caring the disabled,” said Xie Zhimao, who is suffering from cancer but still works as a volunteer to help people with disabilities.

Over the previous years, she has offered more than 20 disabled persons with psychological assistance, guided 3 disabled persons to start their companies, and helped 5 disabled drop-out students to return to school.

Moreover, she has also helped 6 disabled persons to get employed, 4 to apply for a driver’s license and 5 to register online and physical shops.

“Be a friend of the disabled people and lend a hand when necessary.” Li Hexiao, who is the president of Yujiaao Disabled Persons’ Federation, has won praise from all sides for serving and protecting the rights and interests of the disabled in the township, with meticulous attitude and great patience.  

Huang Tao, mayor of the city, attended the ceremony and announced the official launching of the campaign. Huang made an appeal to the disabled people in the city to follow those role models with disabilities and strive for self-perfection with determination and optimism.

“Guided by the people-centered philosophy of development, we will make every effort to mobilize our citizens to participate in activities for helping the disabled and in voluntary service activities. By doing so, we will generate positive energy to promote the quality development of Ningxiang’s disability cause,” said Huang Tao.

Ningxiang held the sharing activity in the hope that the disabled people in the city would be self-assured and self-reliant, get employment through their own hands with the help of the government and the society and strive for a brighter future.