The China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) has developed video, audio, sign language, and captioned materials providing pandemic prevention and control information to help people with disabilities who are experiencing difficulties, said Zhang Haidi in an interview with People's Daily.

Zhang is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairwoman of CDPF. She suggested to further guarantee the accessibility of information for people with disabilities, and that when emergency centers are established in various places special access for people with disabilities to the centers and rehabilitation professionals, psychological guidance professionals and volunteers should be provided.

Zhang Haidi is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation. [Photo/cdpf.org.cn]

Zhang said that during the pandemic, the CDPF required organizations at all levels to give full play to their advantages of close contact with people with disabilities and understanding of their basic conditions to reflect their difficulties and needs and to coordinate and solve problems for them. 

Some local federations have set up psychological assistance hotlines, established online rehabilitation guidance services, especially for children with disabilities, organized donations, promoted the implementation of various fee reductions and subsidies, and participated in the prevention and control of the pandemic.  Zhang said that many people with disabilities have developed a spirit of self-reliance and self-empowerment and have joined the nation in fighting the pandemic, with many touching stories emerging.

She said that as the difficulties faced by people with disabilities are greater than those faced by the general population governments at all levels, when improving public health legislation and formulating emergency plans for public health emergencies, should give priority to people with disabilities, children and the elderly, and ensure that they can access information.

Information broadcasting on public health emergencies should go with subtitles and sign language where possible and establish special access for people with disabilities when building emergency centers and include disability work in various emergency aid books to spread information to them, their relatives and the people who work with them.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the CDPF has called for strengthening of international cooperation for people with disabilities. It exchanged views with colleagues from relevant international organizations and sent them medical supplies.

Zhang participated in the ESCAP videoconference on“Protecting and Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic", advocating for the establishment of a long-term protection mechanism for persons with disabilities in the context of the pandemic, establishment of a collaborative network of governments, society and organizations of persons with disabilities, and the strengthening of international cooperation among persons with disabilities in response to the pandemic, which is a challenge for all mankind.