Disability In China Research Articles

Disability and family in the People's Republic of China: Implementation, benefits, and comparison of two mutual support groups

Background The authors and 2 Chinese parents established 2 support groups in China. One group was for parents of children with autism, and the other was for young adults with either mental health issues or intellectual disability, and their parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning and effectiveness of these groups from the parents’ perspectives.Method Qualitative interviews and questionnaires were completed by members of the groups, across the first 16 months. Facilitator monthly reports were also analysed.Results Members of both groups found the groups provided a feeling of belonging and a place to interact with similar people. Differences existed relating to perspectives on the purpose of the groups and how families benefited, as well as in participation rates. Suggestions were provided by members.Conclusions Implications of the differences in participation and desires of the parents are considered, including the understanding and perceptions of various disabilities in China.

中国における障害児の教育を受ける権利の動向

中国における障害児の教育を受ける権利の動向

The effect of acupuncture on stroke recovery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundStroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in China. Current treatments for stroke are limited and achieve no optimal effect. Acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of stroke and in improving the quality of life for patients in China. In most previous clinical studies, the effects of acupuncture have been diverse, and few well-designed randomized controlled trials have been conducted to investigate the long-term effect of acupuncture on acute stroke recovery.MethodThree hundred and twenty eight subjects with acute cerebral apoplexy will be recruited. The patients will be randomized into two different groups: the intervention group will receive acupuncture treatment together with Western standard treatment for 2 weeks plus the secondary prevention treatment for 22 weeks; the control group will receive only the Western standard treatment for 2 weeks and the secondary prevention treatment for 22 weeks. The primary outcome measures are Barthel Index and the Stroke-Specific Quality Of Life. The secondary outcome measures are the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Modified Rankin Scale. All assessments will be conducted at the baseline and at weeks 4, 12 and 24 of follow-up.DiscussionThis study will evaluate the effects of acupuncture on the long-term recovery of acute stroke and on improving the quality of life of the patients. The results of this study will help establish optimal integrated therapeutic strategies for patients with stroke.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN29932220

Epidemiological study on disability causes by injury in the Chinese population

ObjectiveTo describe and analyse the prevalence and epidemiological feature of people with disability caused by injury in the Chinese population, and then to provide the scientific basis for the prevention...

Caring for a child with severe intellectual disability in China: The example of Rett syndrome

Purpose: Rett syndrome is one of several genetic disorders known to cause severe intellectual and physical disability, mostly in girls. Girls affected by Rett syndrome appear to develop normally in the first 6 months of life, after which the usual clinical presentation comprises regression of communication and hand skills, the appearance of hand stereotypies and impaired gait. Intellectual disability affects more than 1.5% of the population of children in developing countries yet we know little about the daily lives and support services available for them and their caregivers. Method: This qualitative study explored the daily experiences of 14 mothers and one grandmother caring for a child with Rett syndrome in China via telephone interviews. Results: Participants reported a lack of education, rehabilitation and support services available to them. Limited access to information reduced families’ capacity to adequately meet the needs of their child. These gaps were further exacerbated by discrimination and perceived stigma from some members of the community. Conclusions: Additional support services and educational programs at the governmental level can improve the quality of life of persons with an intellectual disability and their families and programs involving community participation in the care of people with disabilities may help to address discrimination.Implications for RehabilitationLittle is known about the lives of girls with Rett syndrome in China, a genetic condition associated with severe disability.Most girls experienced home-based care with limited access to appropriate equipment, education and rehabilitation.Limited information and discrimination and stigma from some community members reduced families’ abilities to meet their child’s needs.Greater access to health, education and information services in China should be supported.

Reforms and challenges in the era of inclusive education: the case of China

This article, written by Meng Deng of Beijing Normal University and Kim Fong Poon‐McBrayer of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, reviews and analyses the reform of special education in China, the challenges confronting Chinese special education provisions, and how the Chinese inclusive education model, namely ‘Learning in Regular Classrooms’, has been shaped by the pragmatic needs aligning with the nation's economic and social developments. In an effort to provide wider school access, the current inclusive education model has become the form of educational placement that serves the majority of students with disabilities in China. The authors conclude that reforms in the last two decades have resulted in dramatic changes and progress in many facets of special education service delivery, school structure, administrative monitoring mechanism, and instructional practices. However, the current Chinese special education service structure is still shaky, with inadequate resources, personnel preparation and support at the local level. Fundamental changes to the examination‐oriented mainstream education system are still needed, to enhance the quality of education for students with special needs.

Image, Space, Revolution: The Arts of Occupation

Image, Space, Revolution: The Arts of Occupation

A New Classification of Function and Disability in China

To develop a new classification method to describe incidence and prevalence of function and disability and their predictors in Chinese older adults. Data were obtained from 16,020 older adults in the 2002 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The subtypes of function and disability were defined by combining physical performance (PP) tests and self-reported assessments of activities of daily living (ADL). The most prevalent subtype involved PP limitations without ADL dependency. Rural living made it more likely that an individual with physical performance limitations would be independent in ADL, whereas city residence made dependence in ADL more likely, regardless of whether performance limitations were present. Self-reported and performance-based tools can be used in combination to estimate conceptually different subtypes of function and disability, with different epidemiological rates of incidence and different social, medical, and environmental predictors.

Publications About Hearing in Otorhinolaryngology Journals from Chinese Authors: A 11-Year Survey of the Literature

Hearing loss is a leading cause of disability in China. However, the research status in the field of hearing among Chinese individuals in the three major regions of China: Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK) and Taiwan (TW), are unknown. The output of hearing articles published in international otorhinolaryngology journals from these three regions were compared in this study. Articles published in 31 international otorhinolaryngology journals related to hearing originating from the ML, TW and HK from 2000 to 2011 were retrieved from the PubMed database search. The number of total articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, and articles published in the top 5 international otorhinolaryngology journals were assessed in terms of quantity and quality comparisons. The total number of articles from the three regions increased significantly from 2000 to 2011. There were 379 articles from ML (143), TW (180) and HK (56) in the past 10years. The number of articles published per year from the ML has exceeded those from TW in 2009 and HK in 2003. TW had the most articles (46) published in the top 5 international otorhinolaryngology journals among the three regions. The total number of articles from the three major regions of China increased significantly from 2000 to 2011. The numbers of articles published per year from the ML have exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW is better than that from ML.

China and the development of sport for persons with a disability, 1978–2008: a review

The 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games have had a very positive impact on many aspects of Chinese society beyond sport. This article focuses on the wide-ranging changes that have taken place since 1978 for the 83 million persons with disabilities in China. Organizations such as the Chinese Disabled Sports Association (1983) and the Disabled Persons Federation (1988) have been established and the 1995 People's Republic of China Sport Law ‘supporting sport for the elderly and disabled’ was initiated. New government policies also support fitness programmes, special education policies, National Games, new sports facilities, local recreational activities and the participation of high-performance athletes in the international Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC) and Paralympic Games. However, there are many ongoing challenges to increasing opportunities for and the participation of those with disabilities in all areas of sport and fitness. Fortunately, with the rapid development of China's economy, more support for disability sport has been possible.

Socioeconomic status and children with intellectual disability in China

Intellectual disability (ID) accounts for 70% of all disabilities among children in China's Second National Sampling Survey on Disability. Although studies have shown a relationship between social class and ID in children, none have investigated the association of socioeconomic variables in Chinese children with mild or severe ID. Data for children aged 0-6 years with and without ID were abstracted from the Second National Sampling Survey on Disability in China, conducted in 2006. Crude odds ratios showed the effect of sociodemographic factors on mild and severe ID. Adjusted odds ratios (OR(a) ) (95% confidence intervals) estimated the independent effects of these factors. For both mild and severe ID, risk of having ID increased with male sex, birth to a woman aged 35 years and older, lower maternal education, mother's older age at delivery, lower income and rural residence. After age, gender and parent disability were controlled, mothers aged 35 years and older were more likely to have a child with ID: mild ID, OR(a) 1.47 (1.15-1.88); severe ID, OR(a) 1.32 (1.00-1.73). There was an approximate increasing monotonic risk of severe ID with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage: lowest income, OR(a) 3.00 (2.19-4.12); low income, OR(a) 2.28 (1.63-3.19); lower middle income, OR(a) 1.72 (1.27-2.33); middle income, OR(a) 1.73 (1.28-2.36). There is a significant relationship between sociodemographic factors and ID. Similar patterns were found for both mild and severe ID. Recommendations are given for preventing ID in Chinese children.

Perspectives of intellectual disability in the Peopleʼs Republic of China

This review aims to provide an overview of the current status and recent developments in epidemiology, public policy and services for children and adults with intellectual disability in China. The most recent national survey on disability conducted in 2006 estimated that the prevalence of intellectual disability was 0.75% in China. People with intellectual disability accounted for 11.9% of all the people with disabilities and they have an uneven geographical distribution. The prevalence in urban areas was 0.4%, whereas that in rural areas was 1.02%. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stated that people with disabilities have the right to receive assistance from the state and society. Based on this, laws have been formulated and revised to protect people with disabilities in areas of education, employment and rehabilitation. The variety, capacity and quality of services for people with intellectual disability are steadily increasing or improving, but there are still gaps and deficiencies such as mental health care and professional services. Supported by the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, there has been remarkable progress in the formulation of policies and provision of services for people with intellectual disability in recent years. However, there continue to be a lot of unmet needs among this population, particularly those living in rural areas. Therefore, further commitment, coordination and resource allocation are required to improve the lives of people with intellectual disability in China.

Issues of teacher education and inclusion in China

Since the 1980s, children with disabilities in China have been integrated into general education settings; the practice is termed sui ban jiu du, literally “learning in a regular classroom” (LRC). The term LRC means “receiving special education in general education classrooms”, and it is regarded as a practical form of inclusion in China. This paper provides context for understanding the issues of teacher education and inclusion in China by comparing the concept of LRC in China to the international concept of inclusive education. It discusses the challenges for and development of LRC at the levels of policy and practice. The main issues involved in teacher education for special/inclusive education are discussed in relation to the culture and context of current policy and its implementation, teachers’ attitudes toward LRC, the professional competence of LRC teachers, the shortage of qualified teachers, and the lack of a national system for special education certification. The final section considers strategies to develop high-quality inclusive education in China from the perspectives of policy development, professional development, and the development of procedures for policy implementation.

CIES Bibliography 2010

CIES Bibliography 2010

Twenty-year trends in the prevalence of disability in China

To evaluate changes in the age-adjusted prevalence of disability in transitional China from 1987 to 2006. Data from nationally representative surveys conducted in 1987 and 2006 were used to calculate age-adjusted disability prevalence rates by applying appropriate sample weights and directly adjusting to the age distribution of the 1990 Chinese population. Trends were assessed in terms of average annual percentage change. The estimated number of disabled people in China in 1987 and 2006 was 52.7 and 84.6 million, respectively, corresponding to a weighted prevalence of 4.9% and 6.5%. The age-adjusted prevalence of disability decreased by an average of 0.5% per year (average annual percentage change, AAPC: -0.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI: -0.7 to -0.4) during 1987-2006. However, it increased by an average of 0.3% (AAPC: 0.3%; 95% CI: 0.1 to 0.5) per year in males and by an average of 1.0% (AAPC: 1.0%; 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.2) per year among rural residents, whereas among females it showed an average annual decrease of 1.5% (AAPC: -1.5%; 95% CI: -1.7 to -1.3) and among urban residents, an average annual decrease of 3.9% (AAPC: -3.9%; 95% CI: -4.3 to -3.5). Despite significant declining trends for hearing and speech, intellectual and visual disabilities, the annual age-adjusted prevalence of physical and mental disabilities increased by an average of 11.2% (AAPC: 11.2%; 95% CI: 10.5 to 11.9) and 13.3% (AAPC: 13.3%; 95% CI: 10.7 to 16.2), respectively. In China, the age-adjusted prevalence of disability has declined since 1987, with inconsistencies dependent on the type of disability. These findings call for continuing and specific efforts to prevent disabilities in China.

Life expectancy of people with physical disabilities in China

To estimate the life expectancy of persons with physical disabilities in China based on data related to representative national disability. Life table technique was used to estimate the life expectancy and its standard error by various characteristics on the basis of average mortality rates from the monitoring cases during 2007 - 2010. (1) Females were expected to live longer than males. The life expectancy at birth for females was 63 years with standard error (SE) = 2.6 while for males it was 55 years (SE = 3.1). (2) Persons aged 35 - 50 in urban areas had higher life expectancy than those in rural areas. (3) Life expectancy of persons with mild disability [62.5 years (SE = 2.4)] was higher than that of persons with severe disability [42 years (SE = 5.4)]. (4) Life expectancies of persons with physical disability were much lower than that of the Chinese general population. Gaps of male and female life expectancy at birth were 17.1 years and 12.7 years, respectively. Persons with physical disability had higher mortality and actions should be taken to improve their life expectancy, accordingly.

Discrimination against children with disability in China

Shang X, Fisher KR, Xie J. Discrimination against children with disability in ChinaInt J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 298–308 © 2009 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.Families' experiences in connection with having a child with disability have been little researched in China. This study applies a child‐based human rights framework to analyse families' experiences of children's disability rights and their experience of discrimination. It applies the framework to families in a disadvantaged, rural case‐study community in China. It finds that children and their families experience significant discrimination in the four child disability domains of rights to care and protection, economic security, developmental support and social participation. The impact is both direct in terms of poor support for the children and their families, and indirect in terms of cumulative pressure on the family, which accentuated the poor social development of the child. The research contributes to understanding child disability rights in China and social policy responses, and raises questions for further research.

Advances in research on the prevalence and prevention of disabilities in China

残疾是指由于疾病、意外伤害等各种原因所致的人体解剖结构、生理功能的异常和/或丧失,从而导致部分或全部丧失正常人生活、工作和学习的能力,无法负担其日常生活和社会职能.残疾,特别是严重功能残障的残疾,对个人、家庭和社会都会产生不利的影响,导致巨大的社会和经济负担.世界卫生组织(WHO)指出,利用现有的技术可以使至少50%的残疾得以控制或使其延迟发生[1].因此,了解我国残疾人群现状和残疾预防研究的进展,积极开展残疾预防工作,减少残疾人口的增长是我国政府和相关部门刻不容缓的任务.本文就我国目前的残疾现状与残疾预防研究进展做一综述。

On the Protective Mechanism of the Right to Employment of Persons with Disabilities in China

In the world, there are 650 million persons living with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have suffered from discrimination in their life. The discrimination on the basis of disability in employment has been prominent and persistent all over the world. Most of persons with disabilities are either unemployed or have been dissuaded from seeking work for the misconception of their incapacities and independence. Some employers refuse to hire persons with disabilities, especially those with mental or intellectual disabilities, because of the prejudiced attitudes that these people may be dangerous to others and customers may be offended or feel uncomfortable on seeing them. Some employers are reluctant to hire persons with disabilities since they worry about the costs of providing accommodations in workplaces. In addition, physical barriers, such as the inaccessibility to public transportation, housing and workplaces, make it very difficult for persons with disabilities to step into the mainstream labour market. As a result, the unemployment rate among persons with disabilities is twice or three times higher than that of the nondisabled.

An Inclusive Society for All: An Experimental Study among Elders with a Disability in China*

An Inclusive Society for All: An Experimental Study among Elders with a Disability in China*