Tianjin to give subsidy to physically disabled kids

One student at Mengjie School for the Blind reads a Braille book, Pingxiang county of Xingtai, Hebei province, April 22, 2019. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Tianjin announced on Monday it will provide children with physical challenges a subsidy of up to 150,000 yuan ($20,949).

The subsidy covers newborns to children up to 7 years of age. But the age range could be expanded up to 17 and the subsidy amount raised for those children with severe conditions or for families with incomes lower than the local average, said the Tianjin Disabled Person's Federation.

The subsidy covers spending on surgical operations on cornea transplants, congenital cataract resuscitation, cleft palate repair, and the procurement of artificial limbs and cochlear implants, just to name a few examples.

The subsidy will also cover rehabilitation after surgical operations.

The city will provide rehabilitation fees and other supplementary facilities after the surgery.

To apply for the subsidy, children's parents are advised to register with the government starting late August.

According to Tianjin Daily, Tianjin has taken the lead in the country to aid children with disabilities.

To date, 1,799 children received government subsidies under a previous plan, with funds worth up to 13.17 million yuan in the past 10 years.

Under the new plan, they are expected to be entitled to more funding.

The announcement coincides with the 10th National Games for People with Disabilities and the seventh National Special Olympics Games held in the northern China coastal city.