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.

He articulates his assembly tasks for automotive parts with detail and pride, a stark contrast to his previous life repairing bicycles on the street, a job that the 38-year-old inherited from his father.

For Sheng, the job provides more than just purpose, it offers a critical social safety net. "The job helps with my social security payment," he said, noting this was previously a significant financial burden.

This long-term stability has empowered him to look forward, nurturing the ambition to one day "move to a company that pays even better".

As the factory's reputation has grown, so has external interest.

From 2017, an increasing number of companies began approaching the Inclusion Factory, seeking to hire individuals with disabilities and requesting professional support to do so effectively.

Now, the factory works with more than 100 local and transnational corporations.

In response, the program has developed a robust consultancy arm, the UShine Charity Center, which provides partner companies with workplace assessments, role-matching advice and management training to foster an inclusive environment.

The program also provides immense relief and hope for families.

Mu Yan, a leader in the parent organization at UShine, has witnessed this change firsthand through her daughter's experience.

For Mu, the Inclusion Factory represents a beacon of hope that was transformative enough to compel her family to drive 1,500 kilometers from Huludao in Northeast China's Liaoning province to Taicang.

After learning about the factory while her daughter was still in middle school, Mu saw a viable future she had previously dared not imagine. "When my daughter graduated, we felt there was nowhere else she could go," Mu said.

The decision paid off. She has witnessed her daughter, who had been diagnosed with developmental delay as a child, blossom through employment, developing crucial social skills, self-awareness and a powerful sense of autonomy.

"She believes going to work is the best," said Mu, noting that her daughter now enjoys the independence of earning and managing her own money.

This transformative experience inspired Mu's own career shift. Recently, she joined the factory's parent nonprofit as a social worker, after first securing her daughter's blessing to become her colleague.

From her unique dual perspective as both a parent and a professional, Mu is channeling her personal experience into broader advocacy. Her mission is to promote the Inclusion Factory model nationwide, empowering other families to believe that, with the right support, their children can lead fulfilling, self-determined lives that are central to society.

The factory is part of a Jiangsu initiative to promote quality employment for people with disabilities, who often face barriers like workplace discrimination and a lack of accessible facilities.

Provincial authorities are pursuing several strategies. In Huaian, for instance, the local government has created jobs by establishing cafes staffed by individuals with hearing loss.

Officials have praised the strategic placement of these cafes inside government buildings, such as public service centers, as an innovative move. Situated in hubs frequented by professionals, the projects integrate people with disabilities into the professional world, visibly demonstrating their capabilities to potential employers.

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."