A group of thirty young people, half of whom are disabled, started a life changing international program in Beijing. They will work with globally renowned community education providers such as the UK's Royal Ballet, to develop the skills required to become advocates of the Paralympic spirit and to encourage the inclusion of young people with disabilities in sports. Our reporter Yang Yang brings you more.

Reporter:

The thirty young advocates between 18 and 25 years of age dance in small groups under the instruction of their ballet coaches from Britain in the National Centre for Performing Arts in Central Beijing on Monday morning. Through dancing cooperatively they learned about the spirit of inspiration, determination, participation and equality.

Hao Yue, one of the advocates, said she can feel love and equality from attending this activity.

"I can feel that we are surrounded by love. All the members work hard to achieve one goal. No matter disabled or not, we are not different and we all can make a difference in life."

The dance training can also help them enhance confidence in leadership and communication skills. Those abilities will be very important for them in finding a job and get involved in the society.

Jonathan Silverman, the ballet coach of the Young Advocates Program, is quite impressed by the willingness of the young people to participate and be creative in dancing.

"We were completely surprised. They did such a fantastic job! We gave them very little direction and they just exploded with it. They move across the room using their bodies and worked together. They did every thing we asked them to do. I am very much enriched by a certain enthusiastic spirit they have about life."

The Young Advocates Program, initiated by the British Council, has the aim of raising awareness of the Paralympics, the Paralympic Spirit and social inclusion. The program aims to increase the ability of individuals and organizations to contribute to positive social changes and the strengthening of civil society.

Robin Richard, cultural and scientific director of British Council of China, said sadly at the launching ceremony of the Program that the Sichuan earthquake left a significant number of people disabled. He hopes the Young Advocates Program can spread the Paralympic spirit to the newly-disabled people in Sichuan.

"I think the Paralympic Spirit, which shows how much people can succeed and overcome difficulties. It's been shown via the spirit of Chinese people in responding to the Sichuan earthquake. Sadly there will be some people who survived the earthquake (and) who will be disabled in the future. So we hope in the Young Advocates Program, through the young advocates themselves will inspire all people to show them in the future in Chinese society there is a role for everyone and we should value everyone including people with disabilities."