BEIJING - State Councilor Wang Yong on Saturday urged local governments to help more disabled people find employment and improve their living standards.

Wang made the remarks while visiting the families of handicapped people in the suburbs of Beijing before this year's Help the Handicapped Day, which will fall on Sunday.

"Improving the living standards of the disabled is an important factor to assess the performance of government work as well as an important responsibility of governments at all levels," said Wang, who is also head of the State Council's working committee for the disabled.

Rural China holds 15 million disabled people living in poverty, and local governments must help them and their family members to land jobs and guarantee their income, according to the state councilor.

He said China's handicapped population, which totals 85 million, can not be left out in enjoying the fruits of China's development.