Jobs for people with disabilities (2)

"I want to find a job related to designing but given my health conditions, I prefer to work somewhere near home and with flexible working hours," she said. "But, I know it won't be easy to find such a job."

Chinese law stipulates that employers should allocate a minimum of 1.5 percent of its jobs to people with disabilities. Those failing to reach the quota will be fined. In Beijing, the figure stands at 1.7 percent.

Ren Zhiyong, a human resource director from Beijing Urban Construction Group, said his company paid 5.8 million yuan ($936,700) for failing to meet the legal requirement. Some 150 of the group's 20,000 employees are people with disabilities.

He said being a construction company, most of the jobs available are arduous and risky compared with other industries. Thus, there are very few job applicants with disabilities.

Ren said he received five resumes for two engineering vacancies but only one candidate matched the job requirements.

Zhang Lining, an associate researcher at the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of People's Government of Beijing Municipality, another organizer of the fair, said the fair "is far from perfect" but will help to raise awareness on the need to provide jobs to people with disabilities in the long run.

"It's the first job fair dedicated to those with disabilities, therefore, we cannot satisfy every job seeker. But, most employers told me they can feel that this group of people are very keen to work and they will provide more job opportunities for them in the future," he said, adding the government will hold more similar job fairs.

In 2012, there were 400,000 people with disabilities who registered in Beijing and 55.4 percent of those of working age were employed, according to statistics from the Beijing Disabled People's Federation. The national employment rate for those with disabilities stood at 43 percent in 2012.