At present, 4.469 million disabled people in China are provided with social security of various forms, says a white paper on China's human rights progress in 2004 issued by the Information Office of the State Council on Wednesday.

"To improve the housing conditions of impoverished disabled people, the central treasury appropriated 50 million yuan for subsidies and the local governments at various levels funded 277 million yuan in total to renovate the houses of over 20,000 households, benefiting 27,000 disabled people," says the document.

It says that last year, China Welfare Fund for the Disabled donated 1 million yuan and cooperated with the China Disabled Persons' Federation in launching the campaign of "aiding the disabled in protection of their rights," providing subsidies for handling cases involving disabled people who needed legal aid.

Legal service and aid organizations provided services and aid to the disabled totaling 130,000 person-times, thus safeguarding their legal rights and interests.

On May 16, 2004, the 14th "National Help-the-Disabled Day," a rich variety of practical, effective activities were launched all over the country. More than 50,000 liaison offices of help-the- disabled volunteers have been established throughout the country.

The white paper says that headway has been made in building a barrier-free environment for the disabled. A large number of sloping passages, paths for the blind, handrails and audio traffic signs and other facilities for the disabled persons' convenience have been either built or renovated on the major roads, in shopping centers, hospitals, hotels, cinemas, theaters, museums, airports, railway stations and public premises in the large and medium-sized cities.

All these have made it more convenient for disabled people to come out of home to participate in information exchange and social life and enjoy public services. An environment where the disabled people are understood, respected, cared about and helped in the society has gradually taken shape, the document says.