(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-22 21:14

Those who did not respond to the disabled's appeals promptly or tried to suppress their demands and postpone the settlement would be punished in accordance with the law and regulations, the draft said.

It stipulated that those who denigrate the disabled, in general, through mass media or other methods, should be corrected by government departments in charge of culture, radio, film, TV and press, and punished in accordance with the administrative regulations.

The draft further clarified the rights of the disabled to play a role in state affairs and social life, stipulating their voice must be heard when laws, regulations and policies concerning them are made.

It also stressed the need to build and improve physical facilities that would make it easier for the disabled.

As China promised to allow guide dogs to enter public places during the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, the draft amendment agreed to lift such bans. It said relevant regulations should be observed when guide dogs are used in aid of the disabled entering public venues.

According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the country has about 83 million disabled, accounting for 6.34 percent of the population. More than 75 percent of the disabled live in rural areas.

The per capita income in households with disabled members is less than half the national average, while the illiteracy rate is about seven times the national average of 6.27 percent.

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