During a press conference, Cheng Kai , Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation ( CDPF ), reported that the total number of disabled employees in China has reached 9.01 million . During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025) , 2.31 million new jobs were created for them in urban and rural areas.
In addition, China implemented a three-year action plan (2022–2024) to foster inclusive employment, which resulted in the creation of 1.648 million new jobs for persons with disabilities. Li Dongmei , Vice-Chair of the CDPF, announced that a new phase of the plan (2025–2027) will be launched.
More and more people with disabilities are working through digital platforms and the internet , which diversifies their employment opportunities. More than 2.17 million have received vocational training, and several technicians with disabilities have excelled in national and international vocational competitions.
The inclusive education system is also showing progress. Ninety-seven percent of children with disabilities are enrolled in compulsory education . Currently, 75,800 are enrolled in vocational secondary education , 59,800 attend regular secondary schools , and more than 30,000 enter higher education each year.
Between 2020 and 2023, households with disabled members saw 6.9% annual growth in net income , a pace comparable to national GDP growth.
During the national poverty eradication campaign, more than 7 million people with disabilities were lifted out of poverty. However, Cheng acknowledged that people with disabilities remain the most vulnerable group to falling back into poverty , especially in rural areas. By the end of 2023, 991,000 people with disabilities were registered in the national poverty reduction system , accounting for 12.1% of monitored cases.
Available jobs are often temporary, low-skilled, and physically demanding , which limits full and sustained inclusion. In response, China has strengthened its targeted support system , with multi-tiered social assistance, mentoring programs by the Communist Party of China (CPC) cadres, and systematic inclusion mechanisms for those who meet the criteria.
