Abstract: Objective To explore the unmet needs and service of rehabilitation for Chinese people with disabilities. Methods The unmet needs and services of rehabilitation data from the Second National Sample Survey of Disability and 2006-2016 Statistical Bulletin on the Development of People with disabilities in China issued by China Disabled Persons Federation had been analyzed. Results The unmet needs of rehabilitation for people with disabilities in China were mainly included health care and support, assistive devices, rehabilitation therapy and services, poverty alleviation, accessible facilities, accessible information, and other rehabilitation needs. The highest rate of unmet needs of rehabilitation was in the fields of health care (34.84%) and poverty alleviation (33.25%). There were significant differences in unmet needs of rehabilitation among people with different types of disabilities (χ2=40322.1, P<0.01). For all the types of disabilities, 41.46% had not received any service and support, 30.45% received health care and support, and 0.55% received accessible information. The main approaches recommended by professionals for people with disabilities were institutional rehabilitation, and community and family based services. The main services recommended by professionals to people with psychiatric (68.18%) or visual disabilities (60.28%) were health care, to people with hearing disability (51.67%) were assistive device, and to people with intellectual (57.36%) and speech disability (47.06%) were rehabilitation therapy and training. There were significant differences both in rehabilitation approaches and contents among people with different types of disabilities preferred by professionals (χ2=12489.9, χ2=52528.93, P<0.01). Conclusion The unmet needs of rehabilitation for people with different types of disabilities were mainly included health care and assistance, assistive devices, rehabilitation training and services, and poverty alleviation. There were significant differences among people with different types of disabilities. For service delivery, the highest rate was in health care and assistance. The gap between the service and unmet needs of poverty alleviation for people with disabilities in China was the highest. There were significant differences in rehabilitation approaches and contents recommended by professionals among people with different types of disabilities. It was recommended to construct the national and local system of policy support system and rehabilitation service governance, to provide precision rehabilitation services based on the unmet needs of rehabilitation, to develop the comprehensive rehabilitation service delivery to achieve the goal of rehabilitation for all, and to conduct scientific research on rehabilitation by using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to provide evidence and support for the development of rehabilitation.

Key words: people with disabilities, rehabilitation needs, development, the Second National Sample Survey of Disability