Disabled to get better access to devices to lead fuller lives

The government is working hard to improve disabled people's access to devices that can assist them, said a senior official from China Disabled Persons' Federation on Thursday.

Sun Xiande, vice-president of the federation, said the government is also encouraging more companies and organizations to participate in research and development of mechanical aids and devices for the disabled.

Sun made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the Care and Rehabilitation Expo China 2012, held in Beijing.

The three-day event attracted more than 240 exhibitors from 16 countries including Italy, Sweden and Japan.

"Although the industry for devices has huge market potential, it is still fledging," said Chen Zhensheng, director of the China Assist Devices and Technology Center for Persons with Disabilities.

A physically disabled child tries a new type of wheelchair at the Care and Rehabilitation Expo China 2012 in Beijing on Thursday. WANG JING / CHINA DAILY

China is home to 85 million people with disabilities and 185 million people aged 60 or older.

"Studies show that about 90 percent of the disabled and at least one-third of the elderly need devices to assist them," he said.

However, the reality in China is that less than 7 percent of people living in rural areas can access aid facilities and the coverage rate in cities is only 12 percent, Chen said, citing the results of an official survey in 2011.

Insufficient government subsidies, poor customer recognition of products and domestic companies' low manufacturing capability to produce diversified products all contribute to the situation, he said.

"There are less than 300 companies in China producing assist devices for the disabled, and most of them just manufacture basic equipment such as manual wheelchairs, walking sticks and hearing aids," he said.

The government has realized that poor access to assist devices has prevented the disabled from fully integrating into society and it has taken measures to change the situation, he said.

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) outlined plans for the government to invest more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million) to help more people with disabilities to buy and use enabling devices, he said.

Many overseas companies debuted on the first day of the expo and are eager to grab a market share of the burgeoning industry.

Takahiro Shidara, deputy director of the manufacturing and environment industry planning division of the Japan External Trade Organization, said 11 Japanese companies came to Beijing to showcase their products, including wheelchairs and canes that help the elderly to get in and out of bed.

"We have seen a lot of Chinese people coming here to our pavilion, and they are very excited to see our products," said Sjang Willems, global market development director of Permobil, a Sweden-based power wheelchair manufacturer.

Willems said all the products the company sells are custom-made with different features suitable for each individual user.

He named renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking as one of the most famous customers of his company.

"There is definitely a market here for us, and we are now investigating how we can best fit in China," he said.