JD Partners with Foundation to Support People with Disabilities

by Martin Li

JD Business, the enterprise business division of JD, will help Chongqing Welfare Foundation for the Physically and Mentally Challenged build an e-commerce platform to make it easier for disabled people to buy daily necessities and assistive devices, according to the cooperation agreement signed by the two parties on May 13.

JD will make use of its technological experience in smart purchase, digital management and logistics after service to make daily staples more accessible for disabled people, including rice, cooking oil and cleaning products, as well as indispensable devices like wheelchairs, crutches and hearing aids. Disabled people will be able to receive deliveries at home with the help of JD's logistics service.

Previously the foundation sent staff to meet with disabled people and communities offline in order to collect demands for assistive devices, and then asked them to collect the devices at designated places. The process featured low efficiency and increased the burden on those in need. Now, the e-commerce platform that JD is helping to build will ease these problems.

JD has also opened a special store on its platform to promote handicrafts and fresh produce sold by disabled people in Chongqing. Currently, a diverse range of handcrafts by disabled people in Chongqing are promoted in the store, including paper cutting and wood carving products.

'JD will partner with the foundation for the longer term to help improve employment of disabled people, increase their income and make life easier for them,' said Xing Song, general manager of JD Business in the southwest region.

The cooperation model is expected to be introduced to more provinces and cities in the future, according to Song.

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