Physical access problems aside, one would expect that disabled persons would be going about their daily lives in Beijing just like everyone else. But where are they? It is rare to see a person with an evident physical disability on the streets of Beijing, yet government statistics say that 6 percent of the country's population is either mentally or physically disabled and that Beijing has close to 1 million disabled residents.

Performers celebrate with the mascot of Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games after the closing ceremony of Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, Beijing, China, Sept. 17, 2008

Although there are many three-wheeled scooters on the streets with stickers indicating that the operator is disabled, few of these persons seem to have any disability and likely operate the scooter based on a disabled family member's special permit. The answer to why we do not see many disabled people "going about daily life" is that despite strides in physical access, societal barriers keep many disabled persons from finding work, attending school, or even getting out of their home. The China Disabled Persons Federation, which has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, notes that some companies deliberately break employment laws that require them to hire a percentage of disabled persons. These companies would rather pay fines than hire workers with disabilities.

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