Volunteers cheer for wheelchair-bound players of a tug of war at a local community in Beijing on September 3, 2008. [Xinhua]

Paralympic Games host city Beijing has ramped up community services for its disabled population to improve the quality of their lives, a city official said.

More than 150 community service centers have been built, totaling 45,814 square meters, to benefit more than 45,000 people with impairment in the city, said Zhao Chunluan, Chief Director of the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation.

The centers are established to provide services like rehabilitation, education, employment counseling, rights protection and improve their cultural lives.

"The facilities prepare them for independent living and help them to develop careers to support themselves," Zhao said.

"Having the centers in place also help raise awareness in the general population to care for those in special needs," she added.

The centers are mainly funded by the government, with the support of social security funds and other social sources.

Zhao said the 150 homes are only the beginning and more such facilities need to be built for the disabled people.

Beijing has about one million disabled people, about 6.49 percent of its total population. Zhao said the hosting of the Paralympic Games, between September 6 and 17, will also accelerate the improvement of the lives of those with disabilities.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2008)