Country report of China

Present situation of the development of China Blind Massage

China is a developing country undergoing rapid economic development and the profound social changes. In this historical process, the Chinese government attaches great importance to and supports China specially challenged persons. In 1990, Chinese government promulgated and implemented “Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons (Decree by the President of People’s Republic of China)" which protected the lawful rights and interests of, and developed undertakings for disabled persons. And then, the Chinese government has formulated and implemented four countries’ outline development plans for specially challenged persons, promulgated "Disabled Persons’ Education Ordinance" and "Disabled Persons’ Employment Ordinance" perfected policy mechanism of employment promotion and employment protection and improved the situations on rehabilitation, education, employment, poverty reduction for specially challenged persons. The “Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons (Decree by the President of People’s Republic of China)" revised in 2008 with special provision that "the State should take measures to protect the interests of the blinds in doing massage and medical massage”, provided legal protection to promote the healthy development of Blind massage in China.

Chinese massage is a unique Chinese way of health care, simple and cost-effective. Traditional Chinese medical massage is greatly different from ordinary health massage. The former requires professional education in medical massage school and professional medical qualification. Chinese medical masseurs do treatment only after diagnosing the patient's condition exactly with medical measures. But the latter only needs short-term training and a certificate of health-care practitioners. To further develop the cause of China's blind medical massage, advance professional education of blind massage, protect lawful right and interests of the blind medical masseurs, widen the channels of employment for the blind, improve employment situation, promote stable employment, the "Measures for the Administration of Blind Medical Massage” was jointly formulated and promulgated by CDPF, the State Ministry of Health, Human Resources and Social Security and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in April 2009. Blind medical masseurs are clearly defined as medical technician in this approach. Blind medical masseurs could apply to do medical massage in medical institutions, only after he or she passes the national examination and gets the medical qualification. According to the “Measures for the Administration of Blind Medical Massage”, “National Blind Medical Massage Examination Commission” has been established by Ministry of Health, State Administration of Traditional, CDPF. The Commission formulated "Interim Measures for Blind Medical Massage Examination", organizing experts to have complied “Outline of National Blind Medical Massage Examination", and scheduled to hold the first National Blind Medical Masseurs’ Examination in October, 2010. National Blind Medical Masseurs’ Examination is a new national examination and evaluation system. It evaluates the basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the blind medical masseurs, composed by comprehensive written examination and practical skills exam. If blind medical masseurs pass the Examination, he or she could qualify as the primary medical technician which is a very necessary qualification for masseurs to get work in a medical institution. Otherwise, only blind medical masseurs could open “Blind Medical Massage Institution”, which is specially provided in "Measures for the Administration of Blind Medical Massage”. The implementation of National Blind Medical Masseurs’ Examination marks the cause of Blind medical massage has entered a new stage, in which the interests of blind has been protected better.

China blind health massage and traditional medical massage parallel. This parallel development provides multiple choices to blind masseurs. Ordinary health masseurs only need to participate six months’ vocational training. With ordinary massage institutions and practitioners rapidly increasing, the blind massage industry is getting more and more competitive. Blind massage management requires institutionalization, standardization, and also needs support and subsidies from Chinese government. To effectively promote blind masseurs’ employment, standardize the business activities of blind massage agency, protect consumers’ interests, the legal rights and interests of blind masseurs and operators, and promote the healthy development of blind massage industry, China Disabled Persons Federation with the concerned State departments formulated “Notice of doing vocational training, identification and employment for blind massager”. According to this NOTICE, some provinces and municipalities’ disabled persons federation formulated "blind massage industry management approach" with local government departments under the region status of blind massage business. APPROACH made specific provisions on opening procedures, qualification, skills training, skills certification, employment management, and etc. Supports to the blind massage from local government also have been increased. For example: Beijing Finance Bureau and Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation jointly formulated "Beijing Interim Measures of support blind massage industry",which provides support standards as follows: 1. Local government should subsidize 10,000 Yuan per year to the massage institution whose operating area is under 80 sq meters; 2. Local government should subsidize 20,000 Yuan per year to the massage institution whose operating area is of 80-140 square meters (including 80) with above 4 blind masseurs (including 4), 10,000 Yuan per year with under 3 blind masseurs (including 3); 3. Local government should subsidize 30,000 Yuan per year to the massage institution whose operating area is above 140 square meters (including 140) with above 8 blind massagers (including 8), 20,000 Yuan per year to the massage institution with under 7 blind masseurs (including 7). Zhejiang Disabled Persons’ Federation in Zhejiang Province in China formulated "Zhejiang blind massage industry regulations" ,which provides that: the fees on training, examination, identification, certification, opening, processing licenses of the departments concerned of blind massage, etc, should be charged according to the provisions of national price management department. Arbitrary charges are forbidden. And fees should be reduced to those who actually have difficulties. Those Blind massage agencies with whole opening procedures can enjoy preferential tax policy, after they are verified by the tax authorities. Public security, health departments should reduce its community's expense according to the circumstance.

Blind persons' education, work, skill training has been well developed in China, which depends on its own hard work, and also on the attention and support from the government. In the great process of building off society and harmonious society of China,  CDPF should  "represent, serve and  manage" better to promote the government to take more favorable measures to improve the relevant support and protection policies to advance the cause of blind traditional medical massage and ordinary health massage a sustained, stable healthy development. At the same time, we would like to continuously strengthen the regional and worldwide exchanges, learning from each other on successful experience technology and advancing concept to constantly perfect policy system, innovate management, and doing more efforts on promoting the development of the cause of blind massage in Pacific region and the whole world.