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May 20, 2013

President of the CDPF Ms Zhang Haidi

No.186 Xizhimen Nanxiaojie

Xicheng District,

Beijing, China, 100034

Phone: 80-10-66580228

Via e-mail: web@cdpf.org.cn

 

Dear Ms Zhang Haidi:

Human Rights Watch is an independent international organization that monitors human rights in more than 80 countries around the world. We are currently preparing a report on the education of children and young people with disabilities, with a focus on investigating the extent to which the Chinese government has fulfilled its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure an inclusive education system at all levels. China’s Compulsory Education Law stipulates that “all children” who have reached the age of six go to school while theLaw on the Protection of Disabled Persons explicitly guarantees the right to education for people with disabilities and prohibits “discrimination on the basis of disability.”

We would appreciate your responses to the questions raised below, as well as any additional information you wish to provide us. Human Rights Watch strives to reflect all perspectives in our research and looks forward to your response. In light of our publishing schedule, we would be grateful to receive your response by June 10, sent to Sophie Richardson, China director, by email or by fax. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sophie Richardson

China Director

Human Rights Watch

 

Questions:

  1. Is there standard guidelines issued by the CDPF to all staff regarding how they should help families with children with disabilities in accessing education? If so, what is the content of these guidelines? Are there guidelines to CDPF staff on what they should do when families with disabilities under their jurisdiction are denied enrollment, expelled, or refused reasonable accommodation in mainstream schools?
  2. Has the CDPF assisted individuals with disabilities who are denied access to higher education and to teachers’ qualifications as a result of their disabilities? Also, has the CDPF assisted individuals with disabilities who have their subject choices restricted in higher education as a result of disabilities? If so, could you share the details of the process and outcomes of such assistance?
  3. What kind of outreach programs do you currently have to families with children with disabilities? How do you ensure that you reach out to all families with children with disabilities? Do these programs aim to inform people about educational rights, including their rights to inclusive education and reasonable accommodation? How do you ensure that parents are informed about their educational options, including information (such as cost, enrollment procedures) about accessing special education schools?
  4. Once children with disabilities are issued disability cards, are there any follow-up outreach programs afterwards to ensure that they receive rehabilitation and educational support? What is the content of such support?

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