Program helps mentally disabled get jobs (2)

Another misconception is that they do not perform well and require extra supervision, according to Song Song, a researcher at Enable Disability Studies Institute.

However, a study by the center which was authored by Song found that 90 percent of people with disabilities rated the same or better in job performance as non-disabled co-workers.

According to Song, the mentally disabled can offer something many other people don't have - they're able to manage a difficult life. They could not get by in everyday life without developing excellent problem-solving skills, which makes them an asset.

"With the right support, and the right education on both sides, it's an easy transition and then you have a very dedicated, ready-to-work employee," he said.

Helping the disabled turn their disadvantages into advantages is exactly what NGOs such as Beijing Fengtai Lizhi Rehabilitation Center are doing. By providing tailored training in social skills, literacy and math, handicrafts, cooking, domestic service, typing, hospitality management, plant maintenance and other areas they are making the disabled employable.

Li, who is shy and speaks and counts slowly, is stubborn. He sticks to his job and works harder than other people, said Zhang Yuming, Li's boss.

Since beginning the special vocational training in 2006, the center has recruited more than 600 students, but only 70 trainees have secured employment. The other students can still stay until they find work.

"Running a project like this takes a lot of money," said Feng Lu, head of the center. "It's hard for NGOs like us to survive. And maybe that's why there are so few organizations doing this."