An exhibition will be held in Beijing for the rehabilitative and assistive facilities from Sept. 11 to 13 on the sidelines of the Paralympic Games.

On display will be more than 1,000 types of products for the physically challenged like hearing aids, special vehicles for the disabled, prosthetic limbs and diapers for the paralyzed.

"Some of the products will be shown to the Chinese people for the first time," said Cheng Kai, vice president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

The expo is located at the China International Exhibition Center in northern part of the city on the third ring road. A total of 175 companies and institutions will participate, and admissions are free, Cheng said.

Demands for these devices are high in China as six percent of the Chinese population, about 83 million, are disabled, and a total number of 150 million are aged over 60. But the Chinese market falls short of the demand, officials said.

"There are not many high-tech products like the wheelchairs, and they have to be ordered from abroad," said Xu Xiaoming, director of an assistive devices development center for the disabled.

The exhibition is the second in China after a similar one was held last year, and advocates are trying to make it a yearly event.

"In many other countries such as the United States, Germany and Japan, the exhibitions are organized every year. It's important in that it can make lives of the people with impairment a lot easier," Xu said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2008)