Shanghai Gives Preference to DisabledChanges have taken place for the disabled in the Shanghai municipality: the Shanghai Library has opened a special reading room for the blind, the subway stations have set up elevators for wheel chairs, and some districts provide wheel chair parking for free.By the end of 2000, over 10,000 disabled in Shanghai had benefited from the guaranteed basic living system. Up to now, over 3,500 welfare production units have employed over 77,000 disabled people. Shanghai now has 38 schools for the disabled, and over 98 percent of disabled children have received school education in the past decade. The Shanghai Oriental TV station has begun sign- language programs. "Providing conveniences for the disabled" has become a common concept for residents in Shanghai. The municipality now has over 1, 800 volunteer units for helping the disabled, and 13,000 individual volunteers. |
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