Poverty Alleviation by Helping the Disabled in Impoverished Mountainous Areas of Western China: Taking Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County in Yunnan Province as an Example

Kai RAO, Zisheng YANG

Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China

Abstract Disabled people are the poorest in the rural poor with the biggest difficulty in getting rid of poverty and the highest rate of returning to poverty. They are one of the key groups in rural poverty alleviation work. This is the key and difficult point of winning the fight against poverty. Luquan County is a national poverty-stricken county with a large number of disabled people. Since the implementation of the fight against poverty in 2016, the county has introduced a series of policies and measures to help the disabled to get rid of poverty from housing, medical care, schooling for children of the disabled and income increase, and good results have been achieved in poverty alleviation, making important contributions to the poverty alleviation of the county. Based on field research and interviews, this paper analyzes and condenses the specific practices, main results and successful experience of the poverty alleviation model in Luquan County, Yunnan Province to provide necessary reference for the targeted poverty alleviation by helping the disabled in Yunnan Province and other provinces.

Key words Impoverished mountainous area, Disabled people, Poverty alleviation, Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County

1 Introduction

Disabled people are special social group. Caring for the disabled, and helping and supporting them to be self-reliant is a common task of the whole society, and is also a major issue that needs to be studied in building a well-off society and a harmonious society. Therefore, in the process of building a socialist harmonious society and building a well-off society in an all-round way, it is of great practical significance to study the poverty alleviation and development of rural disabled people[1]. Due to limited labor capacity, low cultural level, lack of skills, unequal opportunities, insufficient investment,etc., the disabled are among the poorest people with the extremest poverty, the most difficult assistance, and the highest rate of returning to poverty, and they are one of the key groups in the poverty alleviation work, and are also the key and difficult point of winning the fight against poverty. By the end of 2016, more than 5.2 million people with disabilities in rural China[2]. It is a long way to go to achieve comprehensive poverty alleviation for rural disabled people in 2020. Therefore, in the current fight against poverty, how to help disabled people get rid of poverty and become rich has become an important issue facing the poverty alleviation work in impoverished mountainous areas. There has been research on the poverty alleviation strategies for the disabled, but on the whole, the quantity is still small, and there is an urgent need to further strengthen the research. In particular, the research on the targeted poverty alleviation by helping the disabled relying on the national targeted poverty alleviation policies is still rare[3]. Guo Yuxia analyzed the causes and effects of poverty among rural disabled people and the historical process of poverty alleviation and development, and proposed measures for poverty alleviation and development of rural disabled people[4]. Zheng Gongchengetal.[2]believe that the poverty alleviation of the disabled in China has formed a pattern of multiple participation, and the state encourages social organizations, social workers and volunteers to participate in the social assistance of disabled people by utilizing donations, setting up disability projects, establishing disability service agencies and providing volunteer services. In 2016, the China Disabled Person’s Federation and the Organization Department of the Central Committee and other 26 departments issued theActionPlanforPovertyAlleviationbyHelpingtheDisabled(2016-2020), which points out that by 2020, the coverage of basic rehabilitation services and family accessibility transformation will be effectively expanded[5].

Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County, located in the alpine valley of Jinsha River in western China, is not only a minority autonomous county integrating mountainous area, agriculture and poverty, but also one of the 592 key counties for poverty alleviation and development in China. It has a wide range of poverty and an extreme poverty level, and the task of getting rid of poverty is arduous[6]. At the same time, the county has a large number of disabled people. As of November 2018, the total number of disabled persons in the county reached 16 566, including 1 645 first-class disabled people, 4 387 second-class disabled people, 3 109 third-class disabled people and 7 425 fourth-class disabled people. Among the disabled, 2 776 people are entitled to the minimum living allowance, and 5 540 households with disabilities were registered as poor households. Among them, there were 6 032 people with first and second-class severe disabilities, including 2 234 registered disabled persons, with registration rate of 37.09%, and there were 10 534 people with third and fourth-class severe disabilities, including 3 306 registered disabled persons, with registration rate of 31.38%. Since the implementation of the fight against poverty, under the strong leadership of the party committee and the government of Luquan County, the Disabled Persons’ Federation of Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County has worked hard, fully implemented the various arrangements for poverty alleviation to continuously improve the ability to serve the disabled, and issued corresponding policies and measures from the housing, medical care, schooling of children of the disabled and income increase. As a result, good results have been achieved in poverty alleviation, making important contributions to the cause of poverty alleviation for the disabled in Luquan County. This paper explores, summarizes and condenses the specific practices, main results, innovations and successful experience of the poverty alleviation model for rural disabled people in the county, so as to provide necessary reference for the poverty alleviation and the targeted poverty alleviation of the disabled in Yunnan Province and other provinces.

2 Specific practices for poverty alleviation

2.1 Innovating service methods to implement centralized identification and certificationIn order to ensure that the disabled people in Luquan County are included in the poverty alleviation category, break through the traditional methods of applying for permits, and change the complicated procedures that must go to the municipal hospital for identification and evaluation, Luquan County actively cooperates with provincial and municipal identification medical institutions and invites the identification experts to the First People’s Hospital, Chinese Medicine Hospital and Zhongai Hospital, Yikang Hospital and various townships and towns of the county to conduct centralized identification of disabled people with the need for identification. A total of 3 073 persons with disabilities such as physical, visual, hearing, mental and intellectual disabilities, leprosy and cerebral palsy, have been helped to apply for a certificate for disability, alleviating the economic burden of the disabled and laying a good foundation for targeted poverty alleviation.

2.2 Implementing the transformation of the barrier-free home environment to improve the living conditions of the disabledThe housing conditions and the barrier-free facilities for the disabled are improved. The Housing and Construction Bureau of the county has identified the housing of disabled farmers. For the dangerous houses of classes C and D, the county government will invest funds to repair, rebuild and reconstruct to ensure the safety of housing for disabled farmers. In addition, it has also actively sought provincial and municipal funds to improve the barrier-free facilities for the disabled. Thus, the safety of disabled people is ensured, and the barrier-free facilities for the disabled are improved, thereby greatly improving the living conditions of disabled people.

2.3 Implementing the plan for the pioneer park of disabled persons to help people with disabilities become self-reliantDisabled people have difficulty in employment and income increase for their own reasons. It is necessary to relieve the worries of the disabled for food, clothing, compulsory education, basic medical care and housing security, increase their income is the key, and employment is one of the effective ways to increase income of disabled people. In order to broaden the employment channels for the disabled, the Luquan County Disabled Persons’ Federation has invented enterprise (Chinowei Casing Co., Ltd.) to participate in the construction of pioneer park for the disabled, aiming at the objective reality of the disabled with poor physical fitness, low level of education, lack of skills and social discrimination. Jobs with low requirements on cultural and physical conditions, low labor intensity, and labor-intensive work have been set up, and poverty alleviation workshops have been established for disabled people to help them get rid of poverty. Simultaneously, the disabled people who are flexible in eyes and hands, except those with mental retardation and mental illness, are mobilized and guided to work in the enterprise, and priority is given to the disabled employees in terms of enjoying policy benefits. The employed disabled people are expected to drive the other disabled people to be hired in the enterprise. This, the income of the disabled people is increased through promoting employment, providing a strong guarantee for the disabled to stay on the road to poverty alleviation.

Through the rural practical technical training program, the self-employment subsidy program and the motor vehicle driver’s license subsidy program for disabled persons, their enthusiasm for entrepreneurs, employment, and learning skills has been fully mobilized and encouraged, and their production skills for agriculture and aquaculture have been improved, laying a good foundation for the disabled to get rid of poverty.

2.4 Focusing on poverty alleviation by improving medical care and paying attention to the education of children of the disabledSince persons with disabilities belong to a special group, it is an important task to grasp the health care and poverty alleviation work of disabled people. In addition to the basic medical policy for disabled people, medical teams are regularly organized to inspect disabled people. At the same time, the provincial and municipal funds have been sought actively. Considering the education of children of disabled people, basic compulsory education guarantee has been achieved. For the disabled children unable to go to school, local teachers are contracted promptly for home visits. At the same time, other funds have been sought actively for the disabled children to go to high schools, universities and other higher education outside the compulsory education.

3 Main achievements of poverty alleviation by helping the disabled

3.1 Improving the living environment of disabled people and ensuring the safety of housingWith the aim of improving the living environment, Luquan County has applied for the pilot project of the Kunming Disabled Persons’ Federation, providing 847 households with ramp construction, bathroom renovation, handrail installation, road hardening, solar installation,etc. A total of 4.3 million yuan has been invested. Dilapidated houses of the disabled in rural areas have been renovated. With the assistance of the Luquan County Housing and Construction Department, the Luquan Disabled Persons’ Federation has carried out renovations on 189 rural dilapidated houses for the disabled, with an investment of 2.14 million yuan. In addition, poverty alleviation fund of total 1.28 million yuan has been applied for 839 households.

3.2 Guaranteeing the health of the disabled and their children’s educationThe Luquan Disabled Persons’ Federation has organized the "Colorful Dream Action Plan" for the rehabilitation of disabled children, and launched the "Rescue Rehabilitation Project for Disabled Children from 0 to 6 Years Old". The 97 children with disabilities who have been screened for rehabilitation have been sent to rehabilitation institutions for rehabilitation. A total of 238 barrels of baby infant milk powder, 222 wheelchairs, 15 walking aids, 170 pairs of axillary crunches, 29 commode chairs, 38 canes, 26 prostheses, 33 electric tricycles, 236 pairs of visual aids and 7 cochlear implants were provided and distributed. Free medical examinations were conducted for 1 523 mental patients, and free medicines were supplied to 30 poor mental patients, with an investment of 30 000 yuan.

Luquan County has striven actively for the provincial and municipal poverty alleviation projects. The "Happy Laughter and Cheerful Voice" Project of the Provincial Disabled Persons’ Federation in Kunming has been applied to Luquan County. Free hearing aids were provided to 352 hearing-impaired patients, equivalent to a total of 7.02 million yuan. Various publicity and education activities on the prevention and rehabilitation of disability have been carried out extensively, promoting awareness of disability prevention and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and carrying out the targeted rehabilitation of disabled people in a solid manner.

The "Sunshine Home Program" has been implemented to provide care services for intellectual, mental and severe disabled people. A total of 384 people with disabilities have been enrolled, with an investment of 486 800 yuan. The education assistance program has been implemented for disabled students in colleges and universities and children of the disabled people, with an investment of 222 000 yuan for 95 persons. A total of 226 500 yuan has been donated to 210 disabled students in high schools and children of the disabled. A loving company has been contracted to support the children of impoverished disabled people to go to university.

3.3 Strengthening trainingIt is inseparable from the improvement of skills for people with disabilities to get rid of poverty. To this end, the Luquan Disabled Persons’ Federation has timely allocated training funds, and carefully organized all townships (towns, streets) to carry out the work of full-time members and life skills and practical technical training for disabled people. At the same time, taking advantage of the platform of pioneer park, according to the class of disability and employment characteristics of disabled people, specific training content has been developed carefully to promote practical production technology and employment skills to the disabled population and enhance the ability of disabled people to get rid of poverty and become self-development. In addition, persons with disabilities heave also been encouraged to participate in computer, e-commerce, mobile phone repair, nail care and other training. In the past three years, 1 294 people with disabilities have been trained, and the training funds have been invested in 548 000 yuan. Through study and training, the production and life skills of the disabled are indeed improved.

3.4 Implementing policies to ensure poverty alleviation

Since the implementation of the living allowance for the disabled and the subsidy for severely disabled persons in 2016, there have been 6 658 rural disabled persons included in the minimum living allowance, 7 680 people enjoying the subsidies for severely disabled persons, and 87 persons that ever enjoyed the temporary living assistance, with an investment of 323 800 yuan.

3.5 Broadening the employment channels for the disabled and increasing the income of the disabledLuquan Chinowei Casing Co., Ltd. has resettled 115 disabled persons and their dependents (physical disability, language disability, hearing disability) and 87 registered poverty-stricken persons, of which the income is between 2 100 and 6 300 yuan. Since the establishment of the company, it has provided more than 500 jobs. With the expansion of the poverty alleviation workshop, it will provide at least 500-800 jobs for disabled and poor households in Luquan County, adding new strength to consolidating the poverty alleviation achievements for the disabled. To this end, Luquan Chinowei Cashing Co., Ltd. has received the attention and praise of leaders at the provincial, municipal and county levels. It has been awarded as "Luquan Entrepreneurship and Employment Demonstration Base for Disabled Persons", "Poverty Alleviation and Employment Demonstration Base of Kunming Disabled Persons’ Federation" and "Poverty Alleviation and Employment Demonstration Base of Yunnan Provincial Disabled Persons’ Federation" for stable employment of disabled people and registered poor households. The whole poverty alleviation work shows a good situation in which enterprises are flourishing and the disabled are full of enthusiasm.

The high-level poverty alleviation projects and funds have been applied actively, and new ways have been developed for industrial development for poverty alleviation. In the past three years, 45 000 yuan has been invested to Yongjing Village, Yunlong Township for developing apiculture, 342 000 yuan has been invested to Wande Village, Zehei Township to develop planting and breeding industry, 100 000 yuan has been invested to the pioneer park for the disabled, 269 000 yuan has been invested to support those who take the lead in developing industries, 741 800 yuan has been allocated to the disabled, disabled athletes and elderly members, 330 000 yuan has been invested to support disabled cooperatives and small enterprises that provide jobs for disabled people, 1.81 million yuan has been invested to support 861 planting and breeding households with disabled people, 397 000 yuan has been invested to self-employment involving 75 persons, 136 500 yuan has been provided as subsidies for 58 disabled persons to apply for driver licenses, and 72 000 yuan has been invested to the employment of 205 people (20 farmer’s bookstore administrators).

The income status of 30 typical households with disabled persons who enjoyed government assistance in 2018 was investigated, and the results are shown in Table 1. The household net income of the 30 households was 25 879 yuan, and the per capita net income was 8 514 yuan, far exceeding the poverty threshold of Yunnan Province in 2018 (3 500 yuan). From the perspective of the government’s poverty alleviation effect, the income of the 30 households from government assistance (planting, breeding or participating in cashing production) in 2018 was 16 471 yuan/household, accounting for 63.64% of the household net income (25 879 yuan/household) in 2018. On average, even if only the income from government assistance was taken into account, the per capita net income of these 30 poverty-free households (109 people) also reached 4 533 yuan, significantly exceeding the poverty threshold of Yunnan Province in 2018. It indicates that the effectiveness of poverty alleviation for disabled people in Luquan County is remarkable.

Table 1 Income of typical households with disabled persons in Luquan County in 2018

Household codeHouseholdpopulationDisabledpopulation perhouseholdAssistanceenjoyedHousehold netincomeyuanPer capita netincomeyuanIncome fromassistanceyuanProportion of incomefrom assistance inhousehold net income∥% 0111Working in casing factory15 65815 65815 658100.000262Working in casing factory40 9206 82016 92041.350332Working in casing factory18 47018 47018 470100.000431Working in casing factory39 74913 24915 74939.620551Working in casing factory59 47411 89559 474100.000652Working in casing factory19 7813 95615 28177.250751Working in casing factory62 27912 45614 27922.930811Working in casing factory22 99022 99022 990100.000931Working in casing factory12 6854 22812 685100.001031Working in casing factory16 3905 46311 89072.541141Working in casing factory15 7263 93111 22671.381251Subsidy for planting and breeding23 0004 6008 00034.781341Subsidy for planting and breeding24 3006 07516 00065.841431Subsidy for planting and breeding15 0005 0006 00040.001542Subsidy for planting and breeding16 8004 2003 00017.861641Subsidy for planting and breeding20 0004 0007 00035.001741Subsidy for planting and breeding18 6504 6632 50013.401841Subsidy for planting and breeding18 0004 5004 00022.221942Subsidy for planting and breeding21 0005 2503 00014.292031Subsidy for planting and breeding17 5005 8332 00011.432121Working in casing factory20 00010 00020 000100.002241Working in casing factory40 00010 00025 00062.502331Working in casing factory50 00016 66650 000100.002451Working in casing factory18 0003 60018 000100.002511Working in casing factory20 00020 00020 000100.002641Working in casing factory25 0005 26015 00060.002741Working in casing factory35 0008 75025 00071.432841Working in casing factory25 0006 25015 00060.002931Working in casing factory20 0006 66620 000100.003051Working in casing factory25 0005 00020 00080.00Mean3.631.1725 8798 51416 47163.64

4 Innovations in the poverty alleviation by helping the disabled

The achievement of the above-mentioned good results in the fight against poverty for the disabled is mainly due to the county’s continuous field visits, investigations and surveys to fully understand the needs and conditions of the disabled and active implementation of targeted assistance strategy for the disabled.

4.1 Carrying out a rotary work strategy combining the physical situation of disabled peopleDue to physical status of people with disabilities, physical pain may occur at any time. This phenomenon is more obvious in the first- and second-class disabled people. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a review from time to time. Luquan Chinowei Casing Co., Ltd. distributes intermittent work to disabled employees to reasonably arrange the working hours of disabled persons and adopts a guaranteed wage system to ensure the health and basic wage benefits of disabled workers.

4.2 Setting up shelters to solve the worries of disabled peopleIn the families with disabled persons, such a phenomenon has emerged: a disabled person needs a normal population to take care of; although the families have a normal workforce, the disabled population at home limits the workforce of the normal population and also limits the idea of the normal population to go out to work, leading to significant reduction in the source of income for the entire family. To this end, the county has set up nearby care centers by townships and village committees, solving the life problems of disabled people and liberating the normal labor force of the households, thereby greatly increasing the income of the households.

5 Successful experience in poverty alleviation by helping the disabled

5.1 Grasping the employment guidance work for the disabled and broadening the employment channels for the disabledAdhering to the employment principle of "concentration and dispersion" for the disabled, series of services such as training for disabled persons, ability assessment, employment registration and employment introduction have been provided, preferential policies have been formulated to encourage and guide more enterprises to absorb the employment of disabled people with working ability, incentives have been introduced to mobilize social forces to set up welfare enterprises, and the support intensity of policies and funds for the disabled who start their own businesses has been increased.

5.2 Strengthening the guarantees and services for disabled personsFinancial investment in the development of the cause of the disabled has been increased. Day care and home care for disabled people have been encouraged. Persons with disabilities have been effective included into social assistance, social insurance, medical insurance and social welfare systems. Social assistance policies and measures such as minimum living allowance, medical assistance and rehabilitation assistance have been implemented. The coverage of the social security system among persons with disabilities has been expanded. The number of people with disabilities to enjoy social security such as "lowest life guarantee" and "five guarantees" has been increased.

5.3 Guiding and supporting the social capital to participate in the construction of centralized care institutionsThe construction and improvement of the disabled care institutions is crucial for the disabled to get rid of poverty. Disabled care can’t just stay at the county level. The centralized care at the county level can’t meet the needs of the disabled in the county, and they are also not convenient for the support of remote disabled people. The home and community-based care system supported by institutions can be explored actively for the elderly with disabilities. At the same time, social forces can be encouraged to set up disabled care institutions. In the form of one-time construction subsidy, award replacing subsidy or purchasing services, social care institutions can be supported to solve the needs of severely disabled people’s life, care and rehabilitation.

5.4 Expanding the scope of publicity and creating an atmosphere of support for the disabledUsing various news media and other platforms, theLawontheProtectionofDisabledPersonsis promoted in depth. The study and education of policies and regulations for the disabled is strengthened in the whole society, especially the party members and leading cadres to enhance the consciousness of helping the disabled. Typical propaganda is strengthened and self-improvement models in disabled people are promoted vigorously to encourage and guide the majority of disabled people to stand on their own feet. Advanced units and caring people who have made positive contributions to the cause of the disabled have been propagandized actively, thereby forming a good atmosphere in which the whole society cares about and supports the cause of the disabled.