编者寄语(英文)

China has more than 60 million disabled people-nearly five percent of the country's total population. That means that in every six families, there is a family with a disabled member. The Chinese Government is devoting great effort to improving the lives of disabled people and is taking various measures to solve the difficulties faced by them, in education and employment for example. However, protecting disabled people from poverty and discrimination still calls for long-term mechanisms to be in place, a sound social welfare system and awareness of the general public to disability issues. On May 15, 1991, China's Law on the Protection of the Disabled Person came into effect, stipulating the third Sunday of May every year as the National Day for Helping the Disabled, which calls on the public to show their concern. Many kind-hearted people have reached out to help the disabled. Yang Jinhua, Director of Huanggang Social Welfare House in Hubei Province is one such person. She has been honored this year as on