China's top legislature has adopted the amendment to the Law on Protection of the Disabled, which is expected to better protect the rights and interests of the disabled in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in September. According to the amendment, governments at county level or above must provide stable funding and draw up annual plans to help the disabled. Our reporter Lin Lin has the details.

China now has more than 83 million people with disabilities, affecting more than 260 million family members. The original Law on Protection of the Disabled was implemented 17 years ago. With the help of the new amendment, disabled people are now guaranteed to have the same rights as everybody else.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, has expressed his satisfaction with the amendment.

"I believe the implementation of the amendment is of great significance. It will protect the legitimate rights of the disabled, raise public awareness of helping such people, and provide an equal basis for them to participate in social activities."

The amendment has made clearer the legal consequences for violating the rights and interests of the disabled. Those who do not respond to such people's appeal promptly or who try to suppress their demands and postpone the settlement would be punished in accordance with the law and regulations.

Li Yuan, an officer with NPC Standing Committee's legislative affairs commission, introduces the details to the media.

"The amendment has in essence expanded the concept of 'prohibition of discrimination against disabled people'. It says that refusing to provide reasonable help to disabled people is also discrimination against them. The amendment is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."

The amendment further guarantees the rights of the disabled to play a role in state affairs and social life, stipulating that their voices must be heard. It also stresses the need to build and improve physical facilities that would make life easier for the disabled.

Sun Shujun, an NPC deputy from the city of Shenyang, is very happy about the amendment, as she has seen many of her suggestions come to fruition.

"The law on Protection of the Disabled will indeed help all disabled people so that each and every one of them can enjoy the benefit of China's reform and opening up. In the past, the help they got were mostly personal favors. From now on, the help will be guaranteed with the implementation of the new law. This is huge."

The amended law will go into effect on July 1this year.

Lin Lin, CRI news.