BEIJING, May 3 -- A total of 544,000 people with disabilities, including 152,000 people in urban areas and 392,000 in rural areas, became employed in China in 2023, according to the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

In 2023, more than 9.06 million people with certified disabilities in China were engaged in different forms of employment, including employment with support from the government, self-employment, part-time employment, and public welfare jobs provided by the government.

Nearly half of these individuals were employed in the farming, breeding and processing sectors of the agricultural industry, according to the federation.

Authorities and organizations across China provided practical skills training to 259,000 people with disabilities living in difficulties in rural areas in 2023, the federation said.

In 2023, 11,393 people with visual impairments across China received training to become non-medical masseurs, and 9,970 individuals received training to become medical masseurs, according to the federation.