Beijing, Jul 11 (IANS): China has new regulation to facilitate a disabled-friendly environment in the country.

It requires all parking lots, commercial centres, living quarters, transportation facilities and other public infrastructure facilities to be accessible to the differently-abled people, Xinhua reported citing a government website.

There are 85 million people with some form of disability in China. Last year, the government had issued a five-year blueprint for improving the lives of the disabled.

The new law, which encourages public venues to offer free services to the disabled, turns effective from Aug. 1,2012.

The construction of facilities for the disabled is intended to allow the disabled population to benefit from China's economic and social development, said an official from the legislative affairs office of the State Council.

Under the regulation, government administrations above the county level will be required to create renovation plans that call for the installation of disabled-friendly facilities in public venues.

In addition, the regulation orders government administrations above the county level to give priority to development of special education organisations, as well as rehabilitation and social welfare institutions.

Given the country's rural-urban development gap, villages and townships will be given time to catch up with counties and cities.

It also says the construction standards in townships and villages should gradually come to resemble those specified in the regulation.