The China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) will seek more benefits for the country's 83 million disabled people, said chairman Deng Pufang during a speech to the federation's fifth national congress on Wednesday.

Deng, also the vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said the costs of psychiatric care, eye operations, hearing aids for disabled children and rehabilitation would be covered by individual medical insurance in the next five years.

The group will focus on special subsidies for the disabled living in hardship conditions and helping low-income and poor disabled families, he said.

The federation will also work to get priority for the disabled in rent subsidies and funds for home renovation in rural areas.

The chairman said the CDPF would continue to promote sports among the disabled so that 15 percent of this group could regularly participate in sports.

He pledged on behalf of the federation to provide all-out support to relevant organizations for the upcoming national games for the disabled, national special games and 2010 Asian Games for the disabled, to be held in south China's city of Guangzhou.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2008)