A three-year, 150 million yuan (about US$22) program to improve information accessibility for China's disabled population was launched on Monday.

China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with more than 30 research institutes and colleges have joined the project.

A website for the disabled will be set up, providing rehabilitation training courses, distance education and entertainment, said Zhang Cheng, official of China Disabled Persons' Federation.

"For example, there will be puzzle games for people with mental retardation diseases, as support for their rehabilitation," Zhang said.

For the blind there is a channel with a voice service system, Zhang added.

There will also be a database of the country's 83 million disabled people, detailing their names, ages, addresses and health condition.

"The government can check online the ID information of the disabled person applying for some preferential policies about social and medical insurance, or jobs," Zhang said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2009)