This Human Rights Watch report is based on 62 interviews conducted in 12 provinces in China. Most of interviews were with children and young people with disabilities or their parents, but they also included a handful of interviews with government officials, academics, and educators and administrators in public schools. This primary source of information was complemented with an analysis of national laws and regulations; and a review of relevant English- and Chinese-language domestic and international press reports, official documents, UN documents, NGO reports, and academic articles.

Based on the set of interviews and the complementary research, Human Rights Watch was able to show that “across China, children and young people with disabilities confront discrimination in schools”. More specifically, the report “documents how mainstream schools deny many such children admission, ask them to leave, or fail to provide appropriate classroom accommodations to help them overcome barriers related to their disabilities. While children with mild disabilities are in mainstream schools where they continue to face challenges, children with more serious disabilities are excluded from the mainstream education system, and a significant number of those interviewed by Human Rights Watch receive no education at all."

Source: Human Rights Watch (2013) “As Long as They Let Us Stay in Class” Barriers to Education for Persons with Disabilities in China: p.1.