BEIJING - China has set a rough timetable for lifting over 20 million rural disabled?people out of poverty, according to a statement from the China Disabled Person's Federation (CDPF) Wednesday.

The CDPF statement confirmed that nearly one-third of rural disabled people are still living in poverty with their living standard "way below" the average.

The statement cited a recently adopted 10-year outline for poverty reduction and help for disabled persons in the rural areas (2011-2020) from the central government, which had not been made public.

The outline specified that by 2015, the overall living standard of disabled people in rural areas should reach a "relatively affluent" level with "institutional mechanisms" in place to support their basic needs.

It also set a long-term target for 2020, when the country's disabled population could expect all-round equal access to basic health care, education, public housing as well as rehabitation services, with their family income reaching the local average level.

To achieve that, the outline calls for expanded coverage of government supports in related poverty reduction loans, enhanced social security and relief services, favorable policies and more jobs suitable for disabled persons.

About 83 million Chinese have some form of disability and 62 percent of them live in rural areas.