Enabling The Disabled in ChinaThe Growing Role Of Disability Rights Advocates

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The scale of disability in China 2

Officially: 83 million persons with disabilities in China 75% live in rural areas, mostly in poverty and almost half are illiterate and more than half are aged over sixty. Disabled women usually suffer more than men.

But: WHO average 15% so 200 million or more?

Latest national sampling survey on disability (2006):

Average annual income per PWDs is currently less than half of the average national annual income per person without disabilities.

Only 1/3 of those needing rehabilitation services have access to them and 1/5 of those needing an assistive device can afford it.

UN Convention on theRights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

“Nothing about us without us”

Ratified in 2008 by the Chinese Government (81 signed the 1st day)

The most specific UN Human Rights Convention:

“Civil society participation required for policy making”

But: many problems and limits for implementation

Need more advocacy to raise public awareness of disabled people’s situation

Organizing + using Media and Law are key strategic tools

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CRPD World Map4

Entry into force: 3 May 2008

A paradigm shift 5

Definition of disability from medical to social to human rights

Not viewed as "objects" of charity, medical treatment and social protection; rather as “citizens" with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active members of society.

Removing barriers, opening doors to make society inclusive and accessible for all 

A paradigm shift 6

Disability results from an interaction between a non-inclusive society and individuals: Person using a wheelchair might have difficulties gaining employment not because of the wheelchair, but because there are environmental barriers such as inaccessible buses or staircases which impede access

Need for training, capacity building, awareness raising, good practices collection and validation

International Day of People with Disability (December 3) 国际残疾人日

Slow Progress with Symbolic Actions

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Progressive laws of the 1990s led to abandonment of the previously common term canfei (‘handicapped and useless’), in favour of canjiren (‘disabled people’) and canzhangren.

China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe

Bodhisattva Show

中国残疾人联合会China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF)

Established in 1988

Limits:

. Bureaucratic, state control

. Very few members have disabilities

. Monopoly for official legal aid: can ithelp when it also implement projects?. Still largely centered on charity andmedical model of disability. Not much interest in rights advocacy

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Deng Pufang 邓朴方(1944-)

Zhang Haidi 张海迪(1955-)

Video on Fang Zheng (1:18 – 2:31) and story of Qi Zhiyong (see here too)

Zhang Yonghong ( 张永红 ) Video Paper cut man

Ni Zhen’s story

Video on Sun Jifa started DIY prosthetics to help others

Ni Yulan’s storyTian Yu’s story

(ex-Foxconn worker)

Disability Rights NGOs 10

http://www.oneplusone.org.cn/

Set up in March 2006 by 2 disabled people with an IT background. Today it employs 14 full-time staff, 8 of whom have visual impairments and two with physical disabilities. It operates a Sound Studio, Online Radio and Mobile Advice Clinic. In 2012, it drafted a shadow report.

Pizza Hut case: Internet commercialoffending blind people…

International NGOs 11

救助儿童会

国际助残

Working in China for more than 13 years. Starting with emergency projects following natural disasters. Today 26 staff employed

It gradually developed a longer term strategy in 6 different provinces focusing on services provision such as community-based rehabilitation activities

Over 3.8 million disabled children in China under the age of 14.

Working with the CDPF and disability rights advocacy groups.

Recent project in South West China on special education schools

Equity and Justice Initiative

Established in Shenzhen in 2010 by Huang Xuetao

A public interest lawyer using policy advocacy and community activism against involuntary commitment

“We need to change prevailing social attitudes oflegislators, judges, psychiatrists, officials,media and the larger public”

Set up in 1999, UK registeredbut based in Beijing, Media Forming people-to-people links

Stephen HallettInterviews 1, 2, 3

Access to Work

Quota system but possibilityto pay fine…

Anti-Discrimination NGOs:

Blind Massage only?

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Few employment opportunies butnew initiatives

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Watch video on SYB

Nanjing Amity Foundation

Huiling Guangzhou

Social Enterprises: a self-funded model?

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红丹丹教育文化交流中心

Hongdandan Education and Culture Exchange Center

Established in Beijing in 2003

Registered as business

Established in 1990 by Meng weina

Nationwide network

“Sunshine Home”with CDPF support

Access to Education: All Children Learning Together?

Almost all children without disabilities go to school.But only 3 out of every 4 children with disabilities go to school.

Access to University:

Very few mainstream universities accept students with disabilitiesSince 2014: gaokao possible in Braille for blind PWDs

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Wei Biling (韦碧玲 )

1997, 25-year-old employee at state-owned car dealer was hit by a car that was test-driven. It left her paralyzed to a wheelchair. Ruled a workplace accident, she got inadequate compensation. A subsequent divorce left her without a place to live. Wei began petitioning in Beijing in 2008…

Obstacles to redress injustice

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Watch Ad

A Promising Initiative

Short Films 20

MAIN FEATURE: We Are Different, We Are the Same - vimeo.com/32883133

PART I: Han Yao’s Blind Ambition (Visually Impaired) - vimeo.com/32820764PART II: Li Chao’s Working Dreams (Mentally Handicapped) - vimeo.com/32822758PART III: Jiang Yuqiu China Doll (Brittle Bone Syndrome) - vimeo.com/32824245PART IV: Hello My Name Is ... Yuan Weiwei (Cerebral Palsy) - vimeo.com/32824840PART V: A Helping Hand Gong Changxiang (Down Syndrome) - vimeo.com/32825051