Give disabled a monopoly on some products: expert

The country should have some government-granted monopoly products exclusively made by the disabled, to further raise their employment rate and livelihood, an expert has suggested.

China should follow the example of other countries and regions, and hand over some product manufacturing exclusively to the disabled, to make the job market less difficult for this group of people, said Wang Xinxian, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and also deputy head of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

The manufacturing of some products, including bags for postal services and accessories for use in hospitals, can be turned over to disabled people, because many disabled people are now on the fringes of the country's labor market, Wang said.

Li Xueju, another CPPCC National Committee member and former minister of civil affairs, echoed Wang's sentiment.

"To improve the livelihood of the disabled relies on providing more job opportunities for them rather than relief, and that's not exactly what we are doing," he said. "Disabled people are mostly very responsible and cherish the job they get, and it's our duty to make sure they live with dignity."

Governmental care for the disabled is breaking new ground, but more support is needed, he said.

Liu Weichang, another CPPCC National Committee member and head of the Shuguang School in Hebei province, said society is not yet tolerant enough where disabled people are concerned.

"When it comes to enterprise employment, even if being a top candidate, some disabled people are not hired," he said.