Since 2013 we have worked with Chinese civil society and grassroots disabled persons organizations to put rights outlined in Chinese law and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into practice.

Our work has addressed areas ranging from equal access to educational opportunities, barrier free access to transportation and public services, to employment discrimination. 

“Nothing about us without us and equal recognition before the law as set out in Article 12 of the Disability Convention. These are the key principles in our work.”

CEO of Chinese disability rights NGO

Strategies used to advance rights include highlighting shortcomings in legal implementation, negotiating with decision-makers, requesting open government information, litigation, and raising media and public awareness.

Successes have included planned improvements to the Changsha subway for persons with disabilities, efforts to address university entrance discrimination in Tianjin for visually impaired persons, greater public dialogue about employment opportunities for blind people, strengthened capacity among five grassroots organizations led by persons with disabilities, and hundreds of citizens with new skills to advocate for realization of the rights of persons with disabilities.  

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