In China, there are handicapped persons wíthout educations or jobs. There are also many handicapped beggars on city roads .. It is important to provide the general public with an understanding of the handicapped in order to promote participation of handicapped persons in society. There is little research that reveals the degree of awareness, the level of recognition, and the attitudes in China toward handicapped persons. The purpose of this study was to reveal developing changes in awareness and recognition of the handicapped in junior high school students, high school students and university students. Older students had a higher tendency to sympathize with the handicapped. Meanwhile, younger students had a lower tendency to think about helping a handicapped person. Regardless of age, students tended to agree that handicapped persons should participate more in society, but many students were opposed to approaches where they themselves would help the handicapped participate in social activities or where they themselves would suffer an economic burden. In addition, many students held the stereotype that handicapped persons were “living every moment" or had “ special abilities."