Productive inclusion

A more widespread approach is the "Home for the Disabled" program, a nationwide network of community-based service centers. These centers typically organize sheltered work like processing or handicrafts, provide vocational training to enhance employability, and offer daily care alongside basic rehabilitation services.

Jiangsu has pioneered a distinctive model by combining these centers with intangible cultural heritage preservation. This approach seeks to harness growing consumer demand for innovative cultural products. By training participants in time-honored techniques — such as paper-cutting, eggshell carving and embroidery under the guidance of ICH masters, the program creates skilled employment that bolsters both income and dignity.

Officials hail it as a win-win: it preserves traditional crafts while offering people with disabilities a more sustainable and fulfilling career path.

Yang Ning, a master of wax printing and embroidered spheres who trains disabled apprentices, described the intangible cultural heritage as a powerful vehicle for empowerment.

"Learning ICH skills offers a uniquely flexible pathway for disabled individuals, as it prioritizes dexterity and focus over physical strength," she said.

These initiatives have established Jiangsu as a national leader in advancing the welfare of China's estimated 85 million people with disabilities — a population disproportionately affected by financial instability due to constrained employment opportunities.

This focus aligns with broader national priorities. In its recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) released in late October, the Communist Party of China Central Committee emphasized that perfecting support systems for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, is crucial for strengthening the nation's social security system.

Reflecting this direction, policy has shifted from purely welfare-based assistance toward viewing employment promotion as the most sustainable path to improved livelihoods. This principle underpinned a major three-year national campaign launched in 2022 to bolster employment for people with disabilities. The results have been significant: data released in May by the China Disabled Persons' Federation shows the number of employed disabled people in China reached 9.14 million in 2024, an annual increase of 512,000.

Cumulatively, growth over the 2022-24 campaign period reached 1.65 million, raising the overall employment rate by nearly five percentage points for the disabled people, according to Li Dongmei, the federation's vice-chairwoman.

This success has prompted central authorities to renew the effort, launching a second three-year campaign for the 2025-27 period. The renewed initiative instructs local authorities to integrate disabled employment as a core component of public welfare work, mandating a more active role in funding related programs and serving as an informational bridge.

According to the 2023 national census report on persons with disabilities released by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the total number of individuals with disabilities in China currently exceeds 85 million. Among them, the number of individuals with autism has surpassed 13 million. With an annual increase of nearly 200,000 new cases, autism has become the leading cause of psychiatric disability in the country.

Simon Zundl, director of business development for Shanghai-based German logistics firm Topline Express, recently visited the Inclusion Factory to explore potential cooperation.

Having previously worked as a social worker in Germany, Zundl expressed a personal and professional connection to the cause. "I have to say, I'm really happy to see projects like this existing," he said, visibly moved by his first visit.

He highlighted the program's dual advantages, saying that it provides a space where workers are free from stigma and can build friendships, while also giving their parents vital respite.

"It helps the parents to breathe, to get some air," he said.

For Zundl, the factory also answered a lingering question about social inclusion in China. Having noticed a lower public visibility of people with disabilities compared to Western countries, he found his answer at the Inclusion Factory.

"I was wondering, where are they? And here, I can see there's a place for them."

lilei@chinadaily.com.cn