In China, there are about 85 million people with disabilities. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), more than 50,000 students with disabilities got into institutions of higher learning and an additional 1.81 million disabled people found jobs, according to official data.
Last year, a three-year action plan for promoting the employment of the disabled was issued by the State Council, setting the goal of creating 1 million new jobs for disabled people by the end of 2024.
Significant efforts are being undertaken to promote employment opportunities for people belonging to specific groups.
The seventh National Vocational Skills Competition for Disabled People took place in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, last week. The event attracted 950 competitors from across the country and among them was Lan Yuanhua, a skilled 38-year-old barista hailing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Undeterred by her physical disability, she said, "My physical disability doesn't prevent me from making good coffee."
A contestant makes coffee during the seventh National Vocational Skills Competition for Disabled People in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, June 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)
People take part in a nail art contest during the seventh National Vocational Skills Competition for Disabled People in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, June 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)
People take part in a hairdressing contest during the seventh National Vocational Skills Competition for Disabled People in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, June 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)
Chef Li Yuanyuan cooks a dish in Bijie, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Fan)
A woman takes part in a contest to sell products via livestream during the seventh National Vocational Skills Competition for Disabled People in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, June 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)