Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged government departments to make more efforts to improve the social security system and provide better public services for the disabled.

These departments should invest more resources in public services for disabled people, including daily living facilities, medical care, education and employment, Hui said at a meeting of the State Council's working committee for disabled people here on Friday.

The government should provide the disabled with equal access to public services and promote their participation in social affairs, as well as their overall development, he added.

He also called for efforts to improve the country's social security system to cover all disabled citizens in urban and rural areas.

Hui said that government departments should provide the handicapped with special support and guarantee their basic standard of living.

He also urged authorities in different regions to formulate local plans to support the disabled as part of the implementation of the country's Five-Year Plan for 2011-2015.

According to the latest statistics, China's disabled population exceeded 83 million at the end of last year.