VZCZCXRO5501
RR RUEHCN RUEHVC
DE RUEHGH #0677/01 2950710
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220710Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6375
INFO RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 6858
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000677 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM 
DEPT OF EDUCATION FOR ROBIN GILCHRIST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI SCUL CH
SUBJECT: SPECIAL OLYMPICS POLICY SUMMIT CONVENES, SECRETARY SPELLINGS 
SPEAKS 
 
 
SHANGHAI 00000677  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  On October 3, U.S. Secretary for Education 
Margaret Spellings, Shanghai and Central Government officials, 
scholars from around the world and China, and famous 
entertainment and political figures met in the Shanghai 
Convention Center to convene the Special Olympics Global Policy 
Summit on the Well-being of People with Intellectual 
Disabilities.  Chinese officials linked their support of the 
Special Olympics with China's efforts to build a "harmonious 
society."  Academics described their research on the living 
standards of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and 
people's attitudes toward individuals with ID.  Their findings 
reveal that people with ID are among the most marginalized in 
society and that many false beliefs about people with ID are 
still prevalent.  Secretary Spellings highlighted that attitudes 
towards people with ID, particularly in the field of education, 
have made great strides.  She also announced creation of a 
center to help colleges and universities develop and expand 
programs for students with intellectual disabilities.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
In the Name of Love: Special Olympics in a Harmonious Society 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng noted that Shanghai was the 
first city in China to develop a Special Olympics program. 
Shanghai has over 70,000 people with intellectual disabilities 
(ID) and more than 50,000 of them have joined the Special 
Olympics program.  Han explained that Shanghai's hosting of the 
summer games is an important opportunity to promote the cause of 
all disabled persons in Shanghai and encourage the community to 
reach out to the disabled to help them live with love and 
dignity. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said that the Special Olympics 
program shows the international community's commitment to the 
concept of harmony.  That China is hosting the summer games, Hui 
continued, demonstrates China's commitment to the promotion of a 
harmonious society.  Hui asserted that the Chinese Government 
has already met the needs of its disabled citizens through its 
laws and will use the summer games to raise awareness of 
disabled persons' rights to new heights.  The Special Olympics 
program is one of "spreading sunshine," Hui said.  "We are all 
connected in the name of love."  Hui reiterated China's 
commitment to using the Special Olympics to build a harmonious 
society.  Hui said the Chinese Government will continue to 
support the Special Olympics and he expressed his hope that the 
summit "will achieve important results." 
 
¶4.  (U) Madame Tang Xiaoquan, Chairwoman of the China Disabled 
Persons Federation (CDPF), said that of the 180 million people 
with ID worldwide, 9.94 million live in China.  She acknowledged 
that while in the West, children with ID are often regarded as 
"gifts from God," in China, they are too often seen as a source 
of shame for the family.  She said that in 2000, China made a 
commitment to have 500,000 people participating in the Special 
Olympics by 2005.  At the end of 2006, there were over 600,000. 
China's Special Olympics athletes now account for 25 percent of 
all Special Olympics athletes worldwide.  China has, however, 
set a new goal: by 2010, one million Chinese citizens will 
participate in Special Olympics events. 
 
¶5.  (U)  These Special Olympics athletes, Tang said, make great 
contributions to social harmony.  As part of its effort to build 
a harmonious society, China is committed to supporting Special 
Olympics.  Tang noted that many localities have included support 
for the Special Olympics directly in their 10th and 11th five 
year programs (FYP).  Tang said that under the leadership of 
Deng Pufang -- the paraplegic son of former paramount leader 
Deng Xiaoping and President of the Federation who was also 
present at the event -- the CDPF has "achieved important 
results" and will achieve greater still.  In accordance with the 
national 11th FYP, 100,000 children with intellectual 
disabilities and 50,000 parents, will receive rehabilitation 
training and financial assistance by 2010. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Shanghai Vice Mayor Zhou Taitong said that of 
Shanghai's population of 70,000 with ID, 12,000 left school 
before the age of 16 and have returned to live at home.  In an 
effort to alleviate the burdens this has placed on their 
families, Shanghai has established the "Sunshine Homes" program. 
 Through Sunshine Homes, people with ID receive technical 
training, learn independent living skills, and get access to 
rehabilitation services.  Zhou said that establishing health 
care and pension systems for these people is critical.  So is 
making them employable in order to help answer the question of 
what will happen to these individuals when their parents pass 
 
SHANGHAI 00000677  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
away. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Secretary Spellings: Educating Children with ID 
 
SIPDIS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7.  (U)  During her keynote address to the Summit, Secretary 
Spellings noted the positive contribution Special Olympics makes 
to the lives of people with ID through celebrating mutual 
respect and the joy of sports.  She highlighted great changes in 
the U.S. Government perspective in terms of education for people 
with ID.  No longer is the question "can children with ID learn" 
but "how can we make sure people with ID succeed in school 
alongside their peers."  Policymakers and educators now have the 
responsibility to educate all children.  They must take on the 
policy of inclusion and ensure that children with ID are 
learning. 
 
¶8.  (U)  Secretary Spellings cited two "landmark laws" governing 
the education of children with ID in the United States: the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures 
students with disabilities have access to free and appropriate 
education and allows educators to customize plans for individual 
children; and the No Child Left Behind Act, which holds schools 
accountable for measuring the progress of all children, 
including those with ID.  Secretary Spellings said that the 
latest national education report card confirms that America's 
schools are getting better. 
 
¶9.  (U)  Secretary Spellings also announced that the Department 
of Education is putting up USD 1.5 million to create a center to 
help colleges and universities develop and expand programs for 
students with intellectual disabilities.  The idea behind the 
program is to allow people with ID to enjoy meaningful and 
rewarding college educations and adult lives. 
 
----------------------- 
Measuring the Challenge 
----------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U)  University of Chicago Professor Glenn Fujiura 
discussed his research on the U.S.'s ID population.  Fujiura has 
developed an index, measuring access to education, employment, 
income level, and other quality of life issues, for people with 
ID.  Using the general population as the baseline, he found that 
people with disabilities other than ID scored close to 75 
percent, while those with ID scored only close to 40 percent, 
making them more marginalized than most. 
 
¶11.  (U)  Senior Vice President of Special Olympics 
International Stephen Corbin and Vice Dean of the Shanghai 
Academy of Social Sciences School for Social Development Studies 
Yang Xiong jointly presented their findings on global 
perceptions of people with ID.  They surveyed 9,000 adults in 12 
countries and 16,000 youth in eight countries.  According to 
their survey results, around the world adults: 
 
-- underestimate the competence of people with ID; 
 
-- believe that people with ID should live, work, and learn in 
separate settings than other people; 
 
-- recognize that the lack of services is a major obstacle to 
the inclusion of people with ID into mainstream society. 
 
The results of the survey among youth found that they: 
 
-- also underestimate the competence of people with ID; 
 
-- have limited contact with people with ID; 
 
-- are unwilling to interact with students with ID as peers; but 
 
-- are willing to have them in the same classrooms. 
 
¶12.  (U)  Dr. Yang then focused on the China-specific survey 
results.  The two men surveyed 4,064 junior high school students 
in 47 schools.  They found that of those polled: 
 
-- 86 percent believe students with ID can make friends with 
students who do not have ID; 
 
-- 65 percent believe that students with ID can participate in 
athletic competition; 
 
-- 53 percent believe that students with ID can talk to students 
without ID about classroom assignments; 
 
SHANGHAI 00000677  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- 44 percent believe that students with ID can handle their own 
money; 
 
-- 43 percent believe that students with ID can use technology 
like cell phones and computers; 
 
-- 37 percent believe that students with ID can act 
appropriately with new people; 
 
-- 32 percent believe that students with ID can be accommodated 
in normal schools.  This was 20 percentage points higher than 
Chinese adults. 
 
¶13.  (U)  When Chinese youth were asked about what they would be 
willing to do with a student with ID: 
 
-- 87 percent said they would say hello; 
 
-- 78 percent said they would talk with them; 
 
-- 63 percent said they would play with them outside of school; 
 
-- 61 percent said they would choose them for a team in gym 
class; 
 
-- 45 percent said they would talk with them about homework; 
 
--.44 percent said they would be willing to work with a person 
with ID on an assignment for a grade. 
 
The survey also found that 80 percent of China's youth want to 
learn more about Special Olympics and 74 percent want to learn 
more about ID. 
 
¶14.  (U)  This message was cleared by the Secretary's delegation. 
KJARRETT