Productive inclusion

Editor's note: Wednesday marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This is the first installment of a three-part series in which China Daily explores new trends and developments in promoting employment for people with disabilities — a key government priority for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

In an industrial area of the city of Taicang in East China's Jiangsu province, the whirring of machinery at one factory tells a special story of transformation.

At the Inclusion Factory, employees with intellectual and mental disabilities are not just earning a wage, they are building confidence, mastering skills and integrating into a community that was once largely out of reach.

At the heart of this story is Zhang Xingjuan, a manager whose role transcends job descriptions. Colleagues describe her as a mentor, a maternal figure and a witness to extraordinary personal growth.

Founded in 2014, the Inclusion Factory stands out as a pioneering force in China, championing inclusive employment for workers with conditions including Down syndrome and autism.

In the past decade, what began as a small initiative employing 12 individuals to assemble automotive parts has blossomed into a program that employs more than 40 people and supports a further 30-plus in finding jobs at mainstream companies through its consultancy services.

Joining the factory as a manager in 2019, Zhang found herself in an unexpected role.

Unlike ordinary employees who might grasp a task after one session, her trainees require patient, one-on-one coaching that can span anywhere from half a session to 100 sessions of 100 minutes each — sometimes for the techniques required to make a single product.

The breakthrough, however, makes the perseverance worthwhile, according to Zhang.

The 53-year-old finds profound satisfaction in witnessing a person initially deemed "untrainable" evolve into a confident, diligent worker who takes pride in the speed and accuracy of their work.

She vividly recalls one employee, Wang Xingchen, who arrived with an inability to focus. Training him was initially a test of patience, but the result was astounding. Now, Wang is capable of complex wiring tasks and is deeply invested in ensuring orders are completed on time.

These stories are not one-sided.

Zhang admits the experience has fundamentally changed her, smoothing her once short temper into a profound calm. "If my mindset is unstable, it affects them," she said. "Now, I am at peace every day."

This symbiotic relationship is at the heart of the factory — a place where Zhang said she has grown to depend on her apprentices and their inspiring journeys.

"It's not that they cannot do without me; it's I cannot do without them," she said.

The factory was inspired by the model used by German nonprofit Lebenshilfe, created in 1958 to provide education, employment and legal support for people living with disabilities.

The factory's initiator — Taicang Roundtable, a nonprofit for small and medium-sized German and European enterprises in Taicang — has since successfully localized the approach, creating a vital link between two groups: parents seeking an accessible workplace for their adult children, and manufacturers looking to fulfill their social responsibilities.

An employee typically integrates into the company after a year and a half of training. After several years, they master a viable skill.

From there, they carry the imprint of their experience at the Inclusion Factory into new chapters of their lives, equipped not just with a trade, but with the confidence to navigate the world.

The program was so successful that it later received blessings from the local authorities, including the disabled persons' federation.

Sheng Zhigang, who has an intellectual disability, is a proud veteran of the Inclusion Factory, having worked there for more than 8 years.