Chinese cities launched a rich variety of activities on Sunday to mark the 17th "National Help-the-disabled Day."

Disabled citizens got free medical checkups, law consultations, etc. Job fairs were also arranged for handicapped university graduates.

The Chinese government consistently pays close attention to the disabled's matters. In 1991, it designated the third Sunday of May each year as the National Help-the-disabled Day.

Several government departments are working with the China Disabled Persons' Federation to build barrier-free facilities nationwide.

China has an estimated 83 million disabled people, accounting for about 6.3 percent of the country's population.

(CRIENGLISH.com May 21, 2007)