Disabled to get better access to devices to lead fuller lives (3)

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) outlined plans for the government to invest more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million) to help more people with disabilities to buy and use enabling devices, he said.

Many overseas companies debuted on the first day of the expo and are eager to grab a market share of the burgeoning industry.

Takahiro Shidara, deputy director of the manufacturing and environment industry planning division of the Japan External Trade Organization, said 11 Japanese companies came to Beijing to showcase their products, including wheelchairs and canes that help the elderly to get in and out of bed.

"We have seen a lot of Chinese people coming here to our pavilion, and they are very excited to see our products," said Sjang Willems, global market development director of Permobil, a Sweden-based power wheelchair manufacturer.

Willems said all the products the company sells are custom-made with different features suitable for each individual user.