There are about 85 million persons with disabilities in China, and they are a special group of people in need, requiring extra care and attention. Since the beginning of the new era, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the cause of persons with disabilities in China has created a new situation of vigorous development, and the goal of “building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, with no one with disabilities left behind” has been realized on schedule. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that “allowing the majority of persons with disabilities to live and work in peace and contentment, to be clothed and fed, and to lead a happy and beautiful life is an important embodiment of the Party's purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, and is an inevitable requirement of China's socialist system.” The Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee of the Party proposes, “Improving the social security system and care and service system for persons with disabilities.” Implementing this important deployment and promoting the comprehensive development of the cause of persons with disabilities cannot be separated from the power of science and technology, and it is necessary to make sustained efforts to assist persons with disabilities through science and technology.
Assisting persons with disabilities through science and technology refers to the use of modern scientific and technological means, including assistive technology, telemedicine, smart homes and other means, to help persons with disabilities overcome physical barriers, improve their quality of life, and realize social integration as a social practice. The purpose of assisting persons with disabilities through science and technology is to provide persons with disabilities with more autonomy, convenience and equal opportunities for social participation. The innovation and popularization of scientific and technological products and services for persons with disabilities will greatly enhance the efficiency and quality of services for persons with disabilities. Vigorously promoting science and technology to assist persons with disabilities requires sustained efforts in the following areas.
Developing technology to assist persons with disabilities. Technology to assist the disabled involves modern information technology, material science, life science and other science and technology. It is necessary to focus on the core aspects of detection, monitoring, risk identification, early warning, care, rehabilitation and medical treatment in the field of science and technology to help people with disabilities, focus on strengthening the common key technologies in science and technology to help people with disabilities, strengthen the transformation and application of scientific research results, and form the relevant technological solutions in science and technology to help people with disabilities, so as to make the advanced technologies in laboratories truly benefit people with disabilities.
Cultivate enterprises that help people with disabilities with science and technology. Enterprises are the main body of scientific and technological innovation, as well as the main body of promoting science and technology to help the disabled. To vigorously improve the level of science and technology to help people with disabilities, it is necessary to give full play to the role of enterprises, and promote them to focus on the needs of people with disabilities in the areas of rehabilitation, care, accessibility, etc., and to combine technological innovation and model innovation to establish an innovation system that combines the government, industry, academia, and research with a clear orientation towards industrialization. It is necessary to cultivate a group of science and technology enterprises with a solid foundation and strong innovation ability, support them in researching and promoting a group of science and technology products with core independent intellectual property rights and high value-addedness, and promote the development and growth of the enterprises, which will in turn promote the rapid development of the cause of science and technology to help people with disabilities.
Developing science and technology industries to help people with disabilities. To improve the level of science and technology to help people with disabilities, it is not enough to rely only on a few enterprises, but also to vigorously promote the development of science and technology to help people with disabilities industry chain and industrial ecology. It is necessary to rationalize the layout of the regional science and technology industry to help the disabled, gather advantageous resources, and develop the regional characteristics of science and technology to help the disabled industrial ecology. For example, to create a science and technology to help the disabled intelligent manufacturing industrial park, the formation of large-scale industrial development; combined with science and technology to help the disabled products and services, relying on rehabilitation institutions, diagnostic and therapeutic institutions to build science and technology to help the disabled base.
Cultivate talents in science and technology to help people with disabilities. Talent is the first resource, and the improvement of the level of science and technology to help people with disabilities cannot be separated from the support of talents. At present, professionals engaged in science and technology to help people with disabilities are still in short supply, and it is necessary to vigorously cultivate the research and development talents, design talents, planning talents and service talents required by science and technology to help people with disabilities, and to strengthen the construction of education and training systems for relevant talents. Science and technology to help people with disabilities involves interdisciplinary and cross-field technological research and development and application, and it is necessary to vigorously cultivate interdisciplinary and complex talents. Promote science and technology to help the disabled talents in scientific research, project cooperation, application promotion and other aspects of international exchanges and cooperation, absorb and learn from the international advanced concepts and technologies. (New Society)