Long time head of the China Disabled Persons Federation, Deng Pufang, son of Deng Xiaoping, has been replaced at the most recent national meetings by fellow paraplegic, Zhang Haidi. Deng, who was injured during the Cultural Revolution, used his father's connections to help first set up the Chinese Disabled Welfare Fund and later the Disabled Persons Federation. He has been in charge of both of them since they were founded back in the 1980s. At this year's meeting, he was named Honorary Chairman, though Zhang will take charge of the day-to-day work.
Zhang, who became disabled after a surgery at the age of 5, didn't attend school, but studied hard on her own and taught herself multiple foreign languages. During the late 70s/early 80s, she was used as a model student who all Chinese should learn from.
It's doubtful this change fully removes Deng's influence from the scene, so its not quite a new day, but at least with new blood at the top, it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes or lobbying takes place.
Showing posts with label disabled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disabled. Show all posts
2008/09/24
Thanks For Nothing...
While watching the Paralympics, either in the venues or on tv, something very odd occurred to me. Thanks to my journalist credentials, I was sitting in the media area during the Opening Ceremonies and so could watch the tv footage as well as seeing it live right in front of me. On tv and in the stadium there was a sign language interpreter for anyone who was deaf. During the rest of the Games, there was sign language interpretation during all Paralympic broadcasts on Chinese television. Perhaps this may not seem unusual to you, but let me clue you in to 2 things:
1. There was none of this during these same Chinese stations broadcasts during the Olympics
2. Deaf athletes do not take part in the Paralympics
CCTV must have thought that deaf people wouldn't be interested in watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and so therefore didn't offer sign language interpretation or subtitles. While I applaud the efforts of inclusion during the Paralympics, the whole concept just seems strange. It seems to imply the deaf, and to expand it, the disabled, would only be interested in disabled sports. The whole thing just seemed kind of stupid...
1. There was none of this during these same Chinese stations broadcasts during the Olympics
2. Deaf athletes do not take part in the Paralympics
CCTV must have thought that deaf people wouldn't be interested in watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and so therefore didn't offer sign language interpretation or subtitles. While I applaud the efforts of inclusion during the Paralympics, the whole concept just seems strange. It seems to imply the deaf, and to expand it, the disabled, would only be interested in disabled sports. The whole thing just seemed kind of stupid...
2008/09/21
What Happens When Face is No Longer Important?
The Paralympics ended last week with another huge fireworks display, the London bus, and great (but less) fanfare. A lot of preparations were made for the Paralympics to guarantee that Beijing, a city that is far from accessible, would be improved. Ramps were put up outside of many large buildings that were previously inaccessible, wheelchair lifts were added to older subway stations on Line 1 and 2, and even new taxis that brought a flavor of London to Beijing streets could be seen riding the roads. The Paralympics Opening Ceremony included the most inspiring and unbelievable athletic display of the past month, more than the Redeem Team, more than Phelps swimming, more than Bolt's running, Hou Bin pulling himself up to the top of the Bird's Nest WHILE IN A WHEELCHAIR was truly amazing.
The torchbearer before Hou Bin was Ping Yali, a visually impaired Beijinger who has been discussed on this blog before. She is one of China's first guide dog users, but has faced a lot of problems in her desire to use the dog in public over the past year. During the Olympics/Paralympics period from July 20-September 20, public regulations allowed guide dogs to go around freely, however now that September 20 has passed, the rules are dropped and the unclear regulations leave her and her guide dog's fate in limbo. The law that is supposed to protect guide dog users is unclear and has regularly been enforced against her, forcing her guide dog to be kept away from the public.
The story of Ping Yali is just one of the many stories about ignored opportunities. Before the Games, Sir Philip Craven, head of the IPC, kept mentioning that it wasn't so much that Beijing had to get ready for the Paralympics, but it was about the lasting impression the Games left on the people of the city. While foreigners (and paying customers) might grumble about the unbelievable number of free tickets distributed to employees of Chinese companies and schools and others may just say that filling the stands was an issue of face, there is a positive to it. Sure, it was shocking to see that the goalball venue was more full during the Paralympics than it was for women's volleyball during the Olympics, though it was entirely full of students decked out in military garb, taking a break from their pre-freshman year military training. This can be seen as a good thing and used as a positive PR move by the government. The government, by encouraging these people to attend, gave able bodied people the chance to see the disabled as more than pitiful individuals, instead as regular people who can achieve great athletic success. Hopefully, it was a positive step in understanding of the disabled in China.
As much as one would like to believe that, the fact that Ping Yali's guide dog is unlikely to see the streets of Beijing again makes one think negatively. Many of the temporary ramps that were put in place have already been taken away. Brand new wheelchairs that were provided to Chinese team members ahead of the Paralympics Opening Ceremonies were going to be taken away from them by the Chinese Disabled Persons Federation, until a last minute decision was reached to allow them to keep the chairs.
China prepared itself for the Paralympics, it made itself ready to impress foreign visitors and to leave a lasting, positive impression in their minds. Now that they are all headed back to their home countries, China has saved face, it appears now things will return to the way they were, unfortunately.
The torchbearer before Hou Bin was Ping Yali, a visually impaired Beijinger who has been discussed on this blog before. She is one of China's first guide dog users, but has faced a lot of problems in her desire to use the dog in public over the past year. During the Olympics/Paralympics period from July 20-September 20, public regulations allowed guide dogs to go around freely, however now that September 20 has passed, the rules are dropped and the unclear regulations leave her and her guide dog's fate in limbo. The law that is supposed to protect guide dog users is unclear and has regularly been enforced against her, forcing her guide dog to be kept away from the public.
The story of Ping Yali is just one of the many stories about ignored opportunities. Before the Games, Sir Philip Craven, head of the IPC, kept mentioning that it wasn't so much that Beijing had to get ready for the Paralympics, but it was about the lasting impression the Games left on the people of the city. While foreigners (and paying customers) might grumble about the unbelievable number of free tickets distributed to employees of Chinese companies and schools and others may just say that filling the stands was an issue of face, there is a positive to it. Sure, it was shocking to see that the goalball venue was more full during the Paralympics than it was for women's volleyball during the Olympics, though it was entirely full of students decked out in military garb, taking a break from their pre-freshman year military training. This can be seen as a good thing and used as a positive PR move by the government. The government, by encouraging these people to attend, gave able bodied people the chance to see the disabled as more than pitiful individuals, instead as regular people who can achieve great athletic success. Hopefully, it was a positive step in understanding of the disabled in China.
As much as one would like to believe that, the fact that Ping Yali's guide dog is unlikely to see the streets of Beijing again makes one think negatively. Many of the temporary ramps that were put in place have already been taken away. Brand new wheelchairs that were provided to Chinese team members ahead of the Paralympics Opening Ceremonies were going to be taken away from them by the Chinese Disabled Persons Federation, until a last minute decision was reached to allow them to keep the chairs.
China prepared itself for the Paralympics, it made itself ready to impress foreign visitors and to leave a lasting, positive impression in their minds. Now that they are all headed back to their home countries, China has saved face, it appears now things will return to the way they were, unfortunately.
2008/06/03
Giving Credit Where Credits Due
Jaunted has put together an interesting series on the Beijing Olympics and a recent entry talks about Beijing's Olympic/Paralympic preprations as related to the disabled, the title being "Accessibility Is a Pipedream." I've been very critical about Beijing's treatment of the disabled and its Paralympics preparations, but in this sense, I'm a little frustrated.
Perhaps I'm just more optimistic lately about how things will go, but I think there is more than meets the eye on this issue. The article's focus is overwhelmingly on the 10,000 sign language translators that are currently in training. To be honest, I always thought the focus on sign language training for the Paralympics was a bit strange, the Paralympics don't include any deaf athletes. The article brings up a good point about what type of sign language the trainees are learning (its my understanding it is Chinese Sign Language, as well as some International Sign Language and/or American Sign Language) and how easy it will be for them to communicate with deaf people.
What the article is missing is the fact that Chinese people are learning sign language (and other lessons and skills to help them interact more conveniently with disabled people). The article states:
Perhaps I'm just more optimistic lately about how things will go, but I think there is more than meets the eye on this issue. The article's focus is overwhelmingly on the 10,000 sign language translators that are currently in training. To be honest, I always thought the focus on sign language training for the Paralympics was a bit strange, the Paralympics don't include any deaf athletes. The article brings up a good point about what type of sign language the trainees are learning (its my understanding it is Chinese Sign Language, as well as some International Sign Language and/or American Sign Language) and how easy it will be for them to communicate with deaf people.
What the article is missing is the fact that Chinese people are learning sign language (and other lessons and skills to help them interact more conveniently with disabled people). The article states:
The fact that this is true is what really matters. There needs to be more interaction between disabled individuals and everyone else, they need to be seen as worthwhile individuals who can be integrated into society. The more opportunities that people have to learn there is very little difference between the able-bodied and disabled, the better. Beijing's move towards making the city (and society as a whole) more accessible doesn't seem to be a temporary one, but a permanent attempt to change things.About 30,000 Beijing-based volunteers have now signed up for "disability
training" ahead of the Olympic Games. As we speak, they're undertaking crash
courses in how to deal with handicaps of all types, from physical disabilities
to visual and hearing impairments to learning difficulties.
2008/05/30
Who Judges Progress?
Yesterday marked 100 days to the start of the Paralympics and this week, BOCOG was under fire for a guide it released for volunteers explaining how to deal with the disabled. It was something I wanted to cover, but things here are extremely busy, and China Hearsay did a pretty good job summing things up (the original Times article can be found here). Since then, BOCOG has withdrawn parts of the offending English guide.
I agree with the complaints about the article, it is a bit clumsy, but much of the blame can be placed on the translator (despite its attempt to put on an excellent Olympics, it seems BOCOG has failed to bring on the necessary translators and editors, not only in this case) and not of the actual Chinese version. In fact, the head of the Paralympics Games blamed it solely on the translator, saying "probably it's cultural difference and mistranslation."
The Times article (and its ilk) failed to go more in depth on the issue of disability in China and included a number of its own misconceptions. It also tends to focus on the negative, instead of acknowledge many of the positives, including the fact that an amended version of the Disabled Protection Law was passed this year (more on that in a future post). There was also this interesting quote:
I agree with the complaints about the article, it is a bit clumsy, but much of the blame can be placed on the translator (despite its attempt to put on an excellent Olympics, it seems BOCOG has failed to bring on the necessary translators and editors, not only in this case) and not of the actual Chinese version. In fact, the head of the Paralympics Games blamed it solely on the translator, saying "probably it's cultural difference and mistranslation."
The Times article (and its ilk) failed to go more in depth on the issue of disability in China and included a number of its own misconceptions. It also tends to focus on the negative, instead of acknowledge many of the positives, including the fact that an amended version of the Disabled Protection Law was passed this year (more on that in a future post). There was also this interesting quote:
The point he makes is a legitimate one and unlike a lot of minority groups, the disabled have only really gotten the respect they deserved and been included in society in western countries over the past 20-30 years. With that in mind, its hard to expect China to reach that point in a short span of time, things are moving forward here, improving each year, though the process has been slow so far, many place their hopes on the Paralympics to change all that and provide needed recognition and interaction for the disabled and the rest of society.The presence of a special guide denotes progress, according to Mike Brace, the
chairman of the British Paralympic Association. “It’s a clumsy attempt to
override years of limited awareness. It’s not ideal, but up to seven years ago,
they might not have acknowledged disabled people at all.”
2008/05/22
Blade Runner Coming to Beijing?
A few months back, I brought you the story of Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who dreamed of running in the Olympics but was rejected by the IAAF, which governs track and field. Well, Pistorius took his case to an arbitration panel that ruled in his favor. That means Pistorius and his blades could be lined up alongside athletes with 2 legs at this year's Games.
There's still a major hurdle in that Pistorius must qualify for the team, which would require him shaving down his time by 4 tenths of a second. Despite how little that sounds like, for him to actually achieve that would be very incredible and is nearly impossible. However, there is also the possibility that the South African track and field heads could select him for the relay team, which is picked and doesn't require qualifying. Doing so would be condemning the South African team to defeat, but as they aren't expected to be medal contenders to begin with, it could make them (ie Pistorius) the story of this year's Olympics.
One of the greatest concerns was about the precedent this sets as prosthetic legs, unlike real ones, can only improve with time as science gets more advanced. However, as a lawyer, I have a lot of respect for the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision. The decision applies solely to Pistorius and the prosthetics that he plans to don in Beijing, a new assessment would have to be done on another athlete or if Pistorius changes legs.
If you were the South African track and field heads, what would you do? Choose Pistorius over a more "deserving" athlete? It's hard to say Pistorius isn't deserving, but at the same time, he will be able to run (and most likely win gold) in the Paralympics, the person who he will be replacing on the relay team wouldn't have such a shot. If he can qualify, then the argument is moot, but as it looks like he won't be able to, its a tough decision.
There's still a major hurdle in that Pistorius must qualify for the team, which would require him shaving down his time by 4 tenths of a second. Despite how little that sounds like, for him to actually achieve that would be very incredible and is nearly impossible. However, there is also the possibility that the South African track and field heads could select him for the relay team, which is picked and doesn't require qualifying. Doing so would be condemning the South African team to defeat, but as they aren't expected to be medal contenders to begin with, it could make them (ie Pistorius) the story of this year's Olympics.
One of the greatest concerns was about the precedent this sets as prosthetic legs, unlike real ones, can only improve with time as science gets more advanced. However, as a lawyer, I have a lot of respect for the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision. The decision applies solely to Pistorius and the prosthetics that he plans to don in Beijing, a new assessment would have to be done on another athlete or if Pistorius changes legs.
If you were the South African track and field heads, what would you do? Choose Pistorius over a more "deserving" athlete? It's hard to say Pistorius isn't deserving, but at the same time, he will be able to run (and most likely win gold) in the Paralympics, the person who he will be replacing on the relay team wouldn't have such a shot. If he can qualify, then the argument is moot, but as it looks like he won't be able to, its a tough decision.
2008/04/22
Massage Massage Everywhere...
With a hat tip to That's Beijing, I read curiously last week that there are officially 430 Blind Person Massage spots in Beijing, though as it seems there is one in almost every neighborhood, the number seems a bit small.
Massage is the first and still the main occupation available to the blind in China. While some work as piano tuners, operators, singers, or radio hosts, probably 95% or more of employed blind people serve as masseurs. Their training varies widely between those who have studied it through school and attended special education universities (like Changchun University or Beijing Union University) or schools of Chinese medicine, while many others only work as interns or trainees at massage parlours where they learn massage (a similar process to what Ben's blog talked about at hair salons). The government certifies those doing massage and parlours should have certificates on display (or at the very least, available).
The article mentions that the Beijing Disabled People's Federation has come up with a logo that certified parlours can display in an attempt to create a brand and build confidence among the public, especially in light of the upcoming Olympics. While this is a good plan, it doesn't always work. Masseurs, like the parlours they work at, are (or should be) certified by the government. Places that can be classified "Blind Person Massage" by the government get tax breaks and other benefits, so often regular massage places will "borrow" the certificates of blind masseurs for a fee so that they can be classified as "Blind Person Massage".
All part of the game. But if you're looking for cheap massage that can make you feel better (and feel good for what you're doing), look out for the new Blind Massage logo around Beijing.
Massage is the first and still the main occupation available to the blind in China. While some work as piano tuners, operators, singers, or radio hosts, probably 95% or more of employed blind people serve as masseurs. Their training varies widely between those who have studied it through school and attended special education universities (like Changchun University or Beijing Union University) or schools of Chinese medicine, while many others only work as interns or trainees at massage parlours where they learn massage (a similar process to what Ben's blog talked about at hair salons). The government certifies those doing massage and parlours should have certificates on display (or at the very least, available).
The article mentions that the Beijing Disabled People's Federation has come up with a logo that certified parlours can display in an attempt to create a brand and build confidence among the public, especially in light of the upcoming Olympics. While this is a good plan, it doesn't always work. Masseurs, like the parlours they work at, are (or should be) certified by the government. Places that can be classified "Blind Person Massage" by the government get tax breaks and other benefits, so often regular massage places will "borrow" the certificates of blind masseurs for a fee so that they can be classified as "Blind Person Massage".
All part of the game. But if you're looking for cheap massage that can make you feel better (and feel good for what you're doing), look out for the new Blind Massage logo around Beijing.
2008/03/20
Scary Stat of the Day or Why the Paralympics Needs to Be the Disabled's "Coming Out" in China 2
Per Xinhua, "43.29 percent of disabled people aged above 15 are illiterate, well above the national average of 6.27 percent for the same age bracket."
2008/03/18
Deng Gets Promoted, Hurrah!
So while all the focus is on Wen Jiabao's press conference (I'd love a Chinese or English transcript of it, but have yet to find one), in a lesser story, Deng Pufang, son of Deng Xiaoping and head of China's Disabled Federation, was the first disabled person to be elected CPPCC Vice-Chairman, the highest position a disabled person has ever held in the government.
Wow, more indifference from me today, despite the title (very sarcastic), I don't know what to think. Does Deng rule the Disabled Federation as his own little fiefdom and receive treatment as if he's a feudal lord, never having to come across the problems most disabled people come across in China? You betcha! Even if he wanted to affect change and despite his "important" title, could he? Probably not...
I would love to see some power for the Disabled Federation and having such a famous patron should help, but it didn't pay any divdends when Deng's father was alive and it won't now. Basically, its not news...
Remind me why I'm blogging about it? A slow night at the Rickshaw...
Wow, more indifference from me today, despite the title (very sarcastic), I don't know what to think. Does Deng rule the Disabled Federation as his own little fiefdom and receive treatment as if he's a feudal lord, never having to come across the problems most disabled people come across in China? You betcha! Even if he wanted to affect change and despite his "important" title, could he? Probably not...
I would love to see some power for the Disabled Federation and having such a famous patron should help, but it didn't pay any divdends when Deng's father was alive and it won't now. Basically, its not news...
Remind me why I'm blogging about it? A slow night at the Rickshaw...
2008/01/18
Scary Stat of the Day or Why the Paralympics Needs to Be the Disabled's Coming Out in China
There has been a lot of talk about the Olympics being China's "coming out party", which most intelligent China bloggers are calling bullshit. If you don't think China's already "out", then you've been under a rock for the past 15 years or so. However (and in light of the upcoming wheelchair basketball competition this weekend), the Paralympics really needs to be the coming out party for the disabled in China, hopefully it will be able to show that, yes, there are disabled people in China and that they can achieve a lot (if the Games are anything like in Athens, China will dominate in almost every event).
What motivated this post was an extremely scary stat in the papers today, published in an article announcing the first blind member of the Guangzhou Provincial government. Guangdong, which includes the major cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen, is far more advanced than most other provinces. However, according to the article (Chinese only), of the province's over 5 million disabled people, only 1% have university degrees and only 5% have high school degrees. I'm sure these stats are similar (or worse) around the country. Hopefully the media coming over for the Olympics will stay for the Paralympics and shine some light on this shocking situation.
What motivated this post was an extremely scary stat in the papers today, published in an article announcing the first blind member of the Guangzhou Provincial government. Guangdong, which includes the major cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen, is far more advanced than most other provinces. However, according to the article (Chinese only), of the province's over 5 million disabled people, only 1% have university degrees and only 5% have high school degrees. I'm sure these stats are similar (or worse) around the country. Hopefully the media coming over for the Olympics will stay for the Paralympics and shine some light on this shocking situation.
203 Days to the Olympics: Daily Dose of News
There's a lot of important Olympics-related information to note today. First off, a ceremony was held yesterday to give the public a first look at the outfits for the torch bearers and volunteers.
The red outfits are for torch bearers and blue are for volunteers. Nothing remarkable here, not sure about the untucked look, and amazingly no logo creep whatsoever, which should make Uniwatch happy. Here's a closer markup of the torch bearer getup (gotta like the headbands):
Also, something that fills me with dread, is the possibility that Celine Dion may be one of the singers during the Opening Ceremony and will come to China for concerts this spring. A press conference was held for that and Sang Lan was in attendance for some reason.
The red outfits are for torch bearers and blue are for volunteers. Nothing remarkable here, not sure about the untucked look, and amazingly no logo creep whatsoever, which should make Uniwatch happy. Here's a closer markup of the torch bearer getup (gotta like the headbands):Also, something that fills me with dread, is the possibility that Celine Dion may be one of the singers during the Opening Ceremony and will come to China for concerts this spring. A press conference was held for that and Sang Lan was in attendance for some reason.
The 2008 PGA Merchandise Show opened up in Orlando and this year will include a special presentation titled, "Golf in China". Chinese media has also taken the unprecedented (I believe) step of sending reporters to cover the show. Okay, this isn't Olympics-related, but it should be, golf has forever been discussed as a test sport at the Olympics (most notably at Atlanta '96 where Augusta National was floated as a host site). I know there was some talk of making golf a test sport for the Beijing Olympics, it would definitely help the ever-growing popularity of the sport in China, but to no avail.
Finally, as part of the "Good Luck, Beijing" series of events, this weekend the Wheelchair Basketball International Invitational will be taking place (more information can be found here). The tournament, which begins on Sunday and will go until Friday at the National Indoor Stadium, will feature China, Canada, Holland, and Australia on the men's side and China, Japan, Germany, and Canada on the women's side. Tickets are cheap and attendance will be minimal, so if you want to have a look at the stadium (and have it all to yourself), consider making the trip to northern Beijing next week. The scheduling of this event is very goofy as only one weekend day will be used and the majority of games are during work hours. Not that there would be big attendance, but the times seem sort of strange. In any case, to me this will be one of the first big tests for the Olympic committee and I'm very curious how the athletes will deal with, and alternatively how the organizing committee will prepare for, Beijing's lack of accessibility. I'm hoping to have interviews with some of the athletes, but we'll have to wait and see.
2008/01/16
Open Discrimination, But That's Okay
Today, a friend sent me a unique job posting that I thought was worthy of being shared. A "Blind Man Massage" place was looking for some masseurs in the small city of Huizhou in Guangdong Province, not far from Guangzhou. The listing was looking for people age 18-34 with at least 3 years prior experience, nothing unusual so far, right? The interesting thing, though, was when it came to salary, they were offering males RMB1,000/month and females RMB1,200/month. Upon further questioning, the contact person explained that they already had a number of male masseurs and the higher salary was an attempt to attract some females.
I know there is no concept of "equal pay for equal work" (though this one does benefit the ladies), but its rare that I've come across such outright examples. What also was a bit striking was the salary. Considering I've seen articles from just a few years back that put the average salary of a university graduate at RMB2,000, for a blind person, who in many cases would be around the same age or younger than a university grad, to be making RMB1,000 in a small city isn't that bad by local standards. The real difference comes when you look at promotion tracks, the RMB2,000 a university student made is going to rise considerably over the years, but a 22 year old blind person working as a masseur (one of the only jobs available to him/her) won't expect much of any raise in the future and the main hope is to earn enough to open their own shop.
I know there is no concept of "equal pay for equal work" (though this one does benefit the ladies), but its rare that I've come across such outright examples. What also was a bit striking was the salary. Considering I've seen articles from just a few years back that put the average salary of a university graduate at RMB2,000, for a blind person, who in many cases would be around the same age or younger than a university grad, to be making RMB1,000 in a small city isn't that bad by local standards. The real difference comes when you look at promotion tracks, the RMB2,000 a university student made is going to rise considerably over the years, but a 22 year old blind person working as a masseur (one of the only jobs available to him/her) won't expect much of any raise in the future and the main hope is to earn enough to open their own shop.
2008/01/13
It's All in the (Prosthetic) Legs...
A dose of Beijing Olympics news as we near the 200 day mark to the start of the Games (a funny thing to think about on this dreary, cold, yellow skied day in Beijing). In what is hardly going to be a surprise to most, the International Association of Athletics Federations appears set to announce that Oscar Pistorius, the South African double amputee runner, is not eligible to race in the 2008 Olympics. After extensive testing, the organization is claiming that the prosthetics Pistorius uses gives him an unfair advantage. For interesting reads in the past about Pistorius and this controversy, here are the takes of the NY Times and Wired.
I've done a lot to advocate for the disabled, but in this situation, I believe that the IAAF and IOC is doing the right thing banning him from the Olympics. The Times article brings up the interesting weird science world that might exist if disabled athletes like Pistorius are able to use prosthetics, race in the regular Olympics, and defeat able bodied ones. I am inclined to trust the science on this and I think Pistorius should be happy to compete for gold in the Paralympics. I think the only sport where it is realistic to expect the IOC to allow a disabled athlete to compete in the regular Olympics would be in swimming, where minimal or no accomodations would be required. At the end of the day, he's still a role model and if he's looking for a payday, he can always continue his races against able bodied athletes when allowed or some PPV special events.
I've done a lot to advocate for the disabled, but in this situation, I believe that the IAAF and IOC is doing the right thing banning him from the Olympics. The Times article brings up the interesting weird science world that might exist if disabled athletes like Pistorius are able to use prosthetics, race in the regular Olympics, and defeat able bodied ones. I am inclined to trust the science on this and I think Pistorius should be happy to compete for gold in the Paralympics. I think the only sport where it is realistic to expect the IOC to allow a disabled athlete to compete in the regular Olympics would be in swimming, where minimal or no accomodations would be required. At the end of the day, he's still a role model and if he's looking for a payday, he can always continue his races against able bodied athletes when allowed or some PPV special events.
2007/12/21
Guide dogs come to Beijing, but is it a good thing?
The issue of guide dogs in China is something I've talked about over and over again. Yesterday, there was an article in China Daily about Ping Yali and her new guide dog, Lucky. This is the first ever guide dog in Beijing and of course tied into the (Para)Olympics as Ping is a former national disabled athlete. As I'm typically the only one blogging on these sort of issues, I was shocked that I was pipped by Beijing Calling on this story. The writer behind Beijing Calling does a pretty good job explaining the situation and ends with the statement:
I am starting to feel like a broken record, but the article (and Beijing Calling's entry) hints at really how useless Ping's guide dog is. The article offers the quote: "We were not allowed to enter subway stations, buses and sometimes even taxis,' Ping, a torchbearer for the 2008 Olympic Games, said."
Also from the article:
It's time for the government to fully enact useful laws in this area, Deng and others have to stop sitting around and start doing something.* The Dalian Medical University, which supplied Ping with her guide dog, is doing a great job, but without national laws protecting potential guide dog users, there's really no point to the guide dog program to begin with. The great irony is in the horrible title to the article, "Nothin' but a guide dog, helpin' all the time." While it may be true elsewhere, unfortunately that's not the case in China.
PS: for those who can read Chinese, Ping Yali's blog can be found here. It appears to have only been started recently and include only the articles from Chinese news about her, but I will dig around and share what I can find.
PPS: As to the * in my entry, I'm sorry for anybody offended by the horrible "pun" about Deng, that was not my intent.
For me it's shocking to read she is one of the first to have a guide dog in thisThe disappointing truth is that Beijing Calling is pretty much right. The only time, if ever, most non-disabled people will have interaction with a blind person is when they go to get a massage. There are many of the 12.3 million visually impaired or blind people who do have canes, but the number who would dare to venture out alone with a cane is very, very small and of those, almost none are totally blind.
country. I have yet to see a blind person on the street. Apparently there are
some 12.3 million people in China who suffer from some kind of visual
impairment.I can't help but wonder how these people function if they don't even
have white canes, let alone guide dogs. Perhaps they are hidden somewhere, never
given the chance to interact with the community and achieve some kind of
fulfilling life.
I am starting to feel like a broken record, but the article (and Beijing Calling's entry) hints at really how useless Ping's guide dog is. The article offers the quote: "We were not allowed to enter subway stations, buses and sometimes even taxis,' Ping, a torchbearer for the 2008 Olympic Games, said."
Also from the article:
In addition, the city does not recognize guide dogs but Ping said policeSo she has a guide dog, but if she wants to go out with it, she must have an able-bodied person with her, so what's the point of the guide dog again? In what can only be assumed is a huge understatement, the article states, "But after having Lucky for only four weeks, Ping realized that she cannot fully take advantage of her companion's abilities."
informed her that Lucky could be taken outside, but in a self-defeating
compromise - only in the company of an able-bodied person.
It's time for the government to fully enact useful laws in this area, Deng and others have to stop sitting around and start doing something.* The Dalian Medical University, which supplied Ping with her guide dog, is doing a great job, but without national laws protecting potential guide dog users, there's really no point to the guide dog program to begin with. The great irony is in the horrible title to the article, "Nothin' but a guide dog, helpin' all the time." While it may be true elsewhere, unfortunately that's not the case in China.
PS: for those who can read Chinese, Ping Yali's blog can be found here. It appears to have only been started recently and include only the articles from Chinese news about her, but I will dig around and share what I can find.
PPS: As to the * in my entry, I'm sorry for anybody offended by the horrible "pun" about Deng, that was not my intent.
2007/12/07
Paralympic-Sized Headache
So, with one hand I like to pat on the back, with the other, I'll deliver a major slap across the face. I have the utmost confidence that Beijing will be ready for the Olympics on August 8th of next year, but with the countdown to the Paralympics set at 273 days, I'll be more than a little shocked if the city can pull things off for those games without a hitch.
This post is going to focus on transportation, first off, if you thought Chinglish was dead in our fair city, Beijingers, fear not. Did you know that game-fighting was forbidden on the staircases of subway stations? Well, now you know! For all you budding game-fighters, do it on a subway staircase at your own risk.
Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled blog entry. For those visitors with disabilities who are coming to watch the Olympics (or for disabled fans in town for the Paralympics), well, you have an uphill task ahead of you. The competitors are bound to be treated to a sort of Potemkin city in that their movements will surely be "restricted" to "tours" which are bound to have fully accessible buses that will take them wherever they want to go. If they do venture out on their own, they are in for a pretty difficult time. This will focus solely on transportation issues.
I would estimate that currently 1% (but probably more like 0%) of Beijing buses are accessible for wheelchair users. For the blind, bus stops are called out by a recording or in some cases by the ticket taker, but getting on buses can be difficult because stations are usually serviced by a multitude of buses and there is really no way to know which bus has arrived at the stop and no time to ask in the chaos of 2 (or more) buses arriving at once.
If buses aren't a good option, what about the subway, you ask? While I highly recommended the subway to all non-disabled travelers to Beijing in my earlier post, I wouldn't recommend it to the disabled. Just look at the chaos I described on the modern Beijing subway and imagine going through that blind. While the transfers to/from Line 1 and 2 aren't bad, going to Line 5 and 13 is extremely difficult (which is why so few blind people venture out alone, more on that in a future post, though). For wheelchair users, you're in for an even rougher time. One would think Line 5 would be built to be accessible, however that is far from the case. While there are elevators, stairs aren't totally avoidable (though they have set up lifts at the staircases). As for Line 1 and 2, there are no elevators and there are just too many stairs for lifts at the platforms, making the stations virtually inaccessible. But that's getting ahead of ourselves, because first you need to get into the station and even the station entrances aren't accessible. Only Line 1 stops from Xidan to Dongdan have both up and down escalators at station entrances. Elevators? You must be dreaming. This won't only cause difficulties for the disabled, but also for older visitors who are visiting the city, get used to climbing stairs.
The Olympics website offers this:
Reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing from your hotel room, maybe? I've yet to see many of these obstacle-free facilities that the government is sparing "no efforts" to reconstruct. My guess is that they'll bring in some accessible buses for the games, but probably won't use them much after. They'll also probably attempt a publicity stunt like at this year's Paralympics in Kunming, where all taxis were made free for the disabled. While it sounds very nice, that's only because there was no other accessible means of transportation for them, so to save face, they came up with this.
In creating a "New Beijing" there was a real opportunity to make this city an accessible one and to help those with disabilities be able to play a greater role in society, unfortunately in the rush to make this city "modern," they've pretty much forgotten they have a responsibility to all citizens.
This post is going to focus on transportation, first off, if you thought Chinglish was dead in our fair city, Beijingers, fear not. Did you know that game-fighting was forbidden on the staircases of subway stations? Well, now you know! For all you budding game-fighters, do it on a subway staircase at your own risk.
Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled blog entry. For those visitors with disabilities who are coming to watch the Olympics (or for disabled fans in town for the Paralympics), well, you have an uphill task ahead of you. The competitors are bound to be treated to a sort of Potemkin city in that their movements will surely be "restricted" to "tours" which are bound to have fully accessible buses that will take them wherever they want to go. If they do venture out on their own, they are in for a pretty difficult time. This will focus solely on transportation issues.
I would estimate that currently 1% (but probably more like 0%) of Beijing buses are accessible for wheelchair users. For the blind, bus stops are called out by a recording or in some cases by the ticket taker, but getting on buses can be difficult because stations are usually serviced by a multitude of buses and there is really no way to know which bus has arrived at the stop and no time to ask in the chaos of 2 (or more) buses arriving at once.
If buses aren't a good option, what about the subway, you ask? While I highly recommended the subway to all non-disabled travelers to Beijing in my earlier post, I wouldn't recommend it to the disabled. Just look at the chaos I described on the modern Beijing subway and imagine going through that blind. While the transfers to/from Line 1 and 2 aren't bad, going to Line 5 and 13 is extremely difficult (which is why so few blind people venture out alone, more on that in a future post, though). For wheelchair users, you're in for an even rougher time. One would think Line 5 would be built to be accessible, however that is far from the case. While there are elevators, stairs aren't totally avoidable (though they have set up lifts at the staircases). As for Line 1 and 2, there are no elevators and there are just too many stairs for lifts at the platforms, making the stations virtually inaccessible. But that's getting ahead of ourselves, because first you need to get into the station and even the station entrances aren't accessible. Only Line 1 stops from Xidan to Dongdan have both up and down escalators at station entrances. Elevators? You must be dreaming. This won't only cause difficulties for the disabled, but also for older visitors who are visiting the city, get used to climbing stairs.
The Olympics website offers this:
Obstacle-free service -- For the sake of welcoming the Olympic Games, all
the municipal authorities of Beijing Municipal Government are sparing no efforts
to reconstruct the obstacle-free facilities in Beijing, including the
obstacle-free buses, bus stops, slopes, bathrooms and blind roads [ed. note: I believe this is referring to the yellow paths in the sidewalk, which are often more dangerous than walking on the regular sidewalk] across the whole city. If you or your family members traveling along are the spectators with special demands, including the old, the young, the sick, the disabled and the pregnant, you may leave the marks on the reservation sheets for Olympic tickets, and then you'll receive one free copy of the Guide to the Obstacle-free Information Service of the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. You're reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing.
Reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing from your hotel room, maybe? I've yet to see many of these obstacle-free facilities that the government is sparing "no efforts" to reconstruct. My guess is that they'll bring in some accessible buses for the games, but probably won't use them much after. They'll also probably attempt a publicity stunt like at this year's Paralympics in Kunming, where all taxis were made free for the disabled. While it sounds very nice, that's only because there was no other accessible means of transportation for them, so to save face, they came up with this.
In creating a "New Beijing" there was a real opportunity to make this city an accessible one and to help those with disabilities be able to play a greater role in society, unfortunately in the rush to make this city "modern," they've pretty much forgotten they have a responsibility to all citizens.
2007/08/01
Live From Shenzhen: Saunas (No, not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter, though THAT might be available...)
I don't mind a nice massage from time to time and I'm willing to admit it (okay, stop it already, I'm just talking about a massage!). This is not something that is possible to enjoy in the US due to the expense, but here its a relatively cheap indulgence and after a weekend of drinking at Lan Kwai Fong, causing my credit card grave pain at IFC, and having carried many large, heavy bags around HK and then into Shenzhen, I figured a massage may be nice. A blind friend who knows the lay of the land in Shenzhen (and basically everyone in China's blind community) and who happened to forget his key in HK took me and a female friend of his to a sauna near the train station. As it happens, Luohu, and especially around the train station is where over 1,000 blind masseurs work, yet unlike in other cities where “盲人按摩" (Blind Man Massage) signs are ubiquitous, its a very rare sight in Shenzhen, as most work at large saunas.
I've never had the "sauna" experience in other cities, so I can't compare, but have heard the experience is a little special here. You start out by picking a masseur, there is literally a book of male and female photos, of the blind and sighted, and for those who pick a sighted individual, there is definitely the chance of a happy ending if required. Of course those regular readers would know I went with a blind individual who I trusted my two friends was one of the best they had (stop it!). You can then bathe and relax for awhile before getting the massage. The massage usually lasts for 3 hours (or more) and you can order drinks and snacks. There is a common room where you can sit and watch tv after or you can choose to have a private room with tv where you can actually spend the night. A good option if you travel to another city but don't have your passport or are looking for cheap accommodations (about RMB200 for the night, not including massage).
The massage itself will set you back around RMB80 for the three hours, at least in Shenzhen (due to the HK influence), you should usually tip, its common to give around RMB10-20 per hour.
THAT kind of place is unfortunately very ubiquitous in Shenzhen. Well, I've never been inside, but when you see a bunch of scantily clad girls lazily laying around in a "barbershop" without chairs or scissors, well, if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck...While I know these kind of places exist in other cities, typically attempts are made to at least cover them up a little bit, whereas here it is so open and obvious. Not sure how the little places survive, the saunas are making good money and either owned by gangsters or paying protection to them (as well as the police in most cases).
Anyways, massage is a great way to relax, it also helps to support the blind, and its cheap. If you're looking for a sauna, they are all around the train station, but if you're looking for a good massage spot, go to the 2nd floor of the Luohu Commercial Center.
I've never had the "sauna" experience in other cities, so I can't compare, but have heard the experience is a little special here. You start out by picking a masseur, there is literally a book of male and female photos, of the blind and sighted, and for those who pick a sighted individual, there is definitely the chance of a happy ending if required. Of course those regular readers would know I went with a blind individual who I trusted my two friends was one of the best they had (stop it!). You can then bathe and relax for awhile before getting the massage. The massage usually lasts for 3 hours (or more) and you can order drinks and snacks. There is a common room where you can sit and watch tv after or you can choose to have a private room with tv where you can actually spend the night. A good option if you travel to another city but don't have your passport or are looking for cheap accommodations (about RMB200 for the night, not including massage).
The massage itself will set you back around RMB80 for the three hours, at least in Shenzhen (due to the HK influence), you should usually tip, its common to give around RMB10-20 per hour.
THAT kind of place is unfortunately very ubiquitous in Shenzhen. Well, I've never been inside, but when you see a bunch of scantily clad girls lazily laying around in a "barbershop" without chairs or scissors, well, if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck...While I know these kind of places exist in other cities, typically attempts are made to at least cover them up a little bit, whereas here it is so open and obvious. Not sure how the little places survive, the saunas are making good money and either owned by gangsters or paying protection to them (as well as the police in most cases).
Anyways, massage is a great way to relax, it also helps to support the blind, and its cheap. If you're looking for a sauna, they are all around the train station, but if you're looking for a good massage spot, go to the 2nd floor of the Luohu Commercial Center.
2007/07/23
(Not) Giving 'Till It Hurts
I pride myself in my involvement with a number of charitable causes and my aiding my community, be it in Chicago or Shenzhen. I also would like to consider myself as a sort of armchair advocate for the disabled, for regular readers of this blog, there have been plenty examples of this. Further, being someone whose been in China for as long as I have, I know the ugly reality of those who beg on the streets, most whether disabled or not, are sent out by "older brothers" or "uncles" to collect money, most of which the individual who actually does the begging will never see.
The Guardian brought this home with a gut wrenching store on China's disabled children beggers. I can't remember on which blog it was, but I read somebody commenting on seeing a disabled person in the street who obviously needed help, however his fellow countrymen (this was a Chinese disabled person in China) failed to even offer him a glance, so the individual writing the post (a foreigner) felt conflicted whether he should offer a hand. When it comes to those begging in the streets, its an equally tough proposition. Sure, you'd have to be heartless not to take pity on the guy with no legs or the young girl with no arms, but at the same time, you know that the money you might give them won't be seen by them. It would be so much easier instead of giving them RMB5 (okay, expecting you to be very generous), to go and buy them a sandwich or a drink, at least you know they're getting the benefit. At the same time, though, by giving them money, perhaps you are sparing them a beating that evening when they come back without enough money.
So what do you do? Give hoping (or just being naive) that the individual is really out begging for themselves or their immediate family? Or simply walk right past them and try looking away? What about the Mr. Li in the article? Is he a decent person for taking in a baby they found by the side of the road and at least giving the child a home? Is it really that evil for a (step)father from some two bit town in the countryside to talk about his disabled daughter as a burden? In the US it would be considered child abuse, but in China where the disabled, even today, are often considered a burden, plus with rural thinking on the roles of women having not changed much over the past few umm, millenia, its just par for the course. One just has to hope that more NGOs come in and deal with this and the government starts enacting some serious welfare programs that will help these children.
So do you still give to them?
The Guardian brought this home with a gut wrenching store on China's disabled children beggers. I can't remember on which blog it was, but I read somebody commenting on seeing a disabled person in the street who obviously needed help, however his fellow countrymen (this was a Chinese disabled person in China) failed to even offer him a glance, so the individual writing the post (a foreigner) felt conflicted whether he should offer a hand. When it comes to those begging in the streets, its an equally tough proposition. Sure, you'd have to be heartless not to take pity on the guy with no legs or the young girl with no arms, but at the same time, you know that the money you might give them won't be seen by them. It would be so much easier instead of giving them RMB5 (okay, expecting you to be very generous), to go and buy them a sandwich or a drink, at least you know they're getting the benefit. At the same time, though, by giving them money, perhaps you are sparing them a beating that evening when they come back without enough money.
So what do you do? Give hoping (or just being naive) that the individual is really out begging for themselves or their immediate family? Or simply walk right past them and try looking away? What about the Mr. Li in the article? Is he a decent person for taking in a baby they found by the side of the road and at least giving the child a home? Is it really that evil for a (step)father from some two bit town in the countryside to talk about his disabled daughter as a burden? In the US it would be considered child abuse, but in China where the disabled, even today, are often considered a burden, plus with rural thinking on the roles of women having not changed much over the past few umm, millenia, its just par for the course. One just has to hope that more NGOs come in and deal with this and the government starts enacting some serious welfare programs that will help these children.
So do you still give to them?
2007/07/08
The Survey Says: Foreigners, Set an Example!
There has been an explosion of posts over the past few days and hopefully this pace will continue (as long as I keep having things to blog about at least). Hey, everyone, it's hard being on a server that is blocked in China, so again, please vote for me! I'm still considering changing to one of the other popular blog servers, but then again, there is no guarantee one of those won't get blocked again in the near future, so we'll see...
Speaking of being blocked, China Law Blog was blocked for awhile here, but thanks to their fancy email subscriber, I was still able to read their posts behind the Great Fire Wall. I know this is the second time today I'm talking about it, but it has been so relevant lately that it's hard not to talk about it. If you don't know about the blog or haven't heard of the writer of the blog and you consider yourself informed on Chinese issues, you must have been under a rock recently because its gottehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifn itself splashed all over the place. Not that they need anymore free advertising over there, but thought I'd put in a good word (haha, perhaps being overly polite is enough to jump onto a blog roll?)...
In this post, though, the gloves will come off a bit. Dan had a great post a few weeks ago entitled "Take Advantage of China's Rampant Employment Discrimination." It's a topic that in one respect or another, I've been talking about since the start of this blog (come on, a restaurant in the dark that doesn't hire blind employees???). His post is based on an article from Xinhua on a survey conducted, the most interesting (to me at least) results of which is that 86% of people responded that discrimination is a problem and 51% viewed it as serious (the article can be found here). The survey also stated that 22% of those surveyed stated that they'd been denied a job due to their physical disability (though no data was available as to what percentage this was of disabled participants, my guess is close to 100%).
Every kind of imaginable discrimination exists in China. If you aren't a graduate from a top college who is fully healthy, has a big city hukou, and is relatively young (and of course not gay or HIV-positive), you might have a chance getting a good job with a top company/firm in Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen. If you don't satisfy those criteria, good luck. I'm not sure how it is for women or older people or even homosexuals, but if you're disabled, you're basically screwed. First, if its a sensory disability, umm, sorry, you're screwed. If it's a problem with one or more limbs (due to amputation, paralysis, polio, etc), you're luck is a little better, but it all depends on if your parents were able to convince the school to let you in and possibly even be forced to carry you to school everyday. Okay, it seems I'm repeating myself, because I am, just go back and read this post.
It is a bad sign for a country when you need foreigners to solve your problems for you. Yet when it comes to job discrimination, Chinese are just going to go on discriminating, its slowly improving, but I doubt we'll see a Chinese ADA with teeth in my lifetime. Therefore, it is up to those foreign companies in China to take up the torch for the disabled (or the women, or those from the countryside) and give them opportunities. These foreign companies, the US ones at least, in the US would be forced to follow the ADA, so why shouldn't they be held to the same standards in China?
It's time for people like Mr. Harris and other foreign business leaders to step up and use their clout for the purposes of good. Take a chance on hiring a skilled disabled (or women, old, rural, whatever) employee, they are out there and they're probably also even harder workers than those who didn't have to fight so much on a daily basis to get where they are.
Speaking of being blocked, China Law Blog was blocked for awhile here, but thanks to their fancy email subscriber, I was still able to read their posts behind the Great Fire Wall. I know this is the second time today I'm talking about it, but it has been so relevant lately that it's hard not to talk about it. If you don't know about the blog or haven't heard of the writer of the blog and you consider yourself informed on Chinese issues, you must have been under a rock recently because its gottehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifn itself splashed all over the place. Not that they need anymore free advertising over there, but thought I'd put in a good word (haha, perhaps being overly polite is enough to jump onto a blog roll?)...
In this post, though, the gloves will come off a bit. Dan had a great post a few weeks ago entitled "Take Advantage of China's Rampant Employment Discrimination." It's a topic that in one respect or another, I've been talking about since the start of this blog (come on, a restaurant in the dark that doesn't hire blind employees???). His post is based on an article from Xinhua on a survey conducted, the most interesting (to me at least) results of which is that 86% of people responded that discrimination is a problem and 51% viewed it as serious (the article can be found here). The survey also stated that 22% of those surveyed stated that they'd been denied a job due to their physical disability (though no data was available as to what percentage this was of disabled participants, my guess is close to 100%).
Every kind of imaginable discrimination exists in China. If you aren't a graduate from a top college who is fully healthy, has a big city hukou, and is relatively young (and of course not gay or HIV-positive), you might have a chance getting a good job with a top company/firm in Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen. If you don't satisfy those criteria, good luck. I'm not sure how it is for women or older people or even homosexuals, but if you're disabled, you're basically screwed. First, if its a sensory disability, umm, sorry, you're screwed. If it's a problem with one or more limbs (due to amputation, paralysis, polio, etc), you're luck is a little better, but it all depends on if your parents were able to convince the school to let you in and possibly even be forced to carry you to school everyday. Okay, it seems I'm repeating myself, because I am, just go back and read this post.
It is a bad sign for a country when you need foreigners to solve your problems for you. Yet when it comes to job discrimination, Chinese are just going to go on discriminating, its slowly improving, but I doubt we'll see a Chinese ADA with teeth in my lifetime. Therefore, it is up to those foreign companies in China to take up the torch for the disabled (or the women, or those from the countryside) and give them opportunities. These foreign companies, the US ones at least, in the US would be forced to follow the ADA, so why shouldn't they be held to the same standards in China?
It's time for people like Mr. Harris and other foreign business leaders to step up and use their clout for the purposes of good. Take a chance on hiring a skilled disabled (or women, old, rural, whatever) employee, they are out there and they're probably also even harder workers than those who didn't have to fight so much on a daily basis to get where they are.
2007/05/02
On Politeness Part 2: Accessibility? Are. You Kidding. Me?
I signed up for the 2nd Annual Blogging Against Disablism Day and so here is my entry. Unlike most participants, this one is coming really late (its already May 2nd here in the midwest), but it does allow me to take a look at some of the other bloggers. Exactly which category this entry fits into is up in the air, perhaps like often happens, I'm unique and deserving of a category of my own. I've written a lot already on the topic of disability and will probably write a lot more, but I hope this entry will be somewhat unique.The fact that this is happening (or supposed to happen) on May 1st is important. Though it isn't celebrated in America, May 1st is International Labor Day and celebrated all over the world. Over the years, it has been turned into a day to memoralize much more than the workers of the world, its become a day to put forth a number of Leftist causes (most recently, in the US its been used for immigration rights). To use this day to attack discrimination against the disabled is a great thing.
Yet, while posters right a lot about conditions in the US, the reality is that the problems that exist are more like "mole hills" in the face of conditions in other country. While I admit that the situation for the disabled in the US (and from recent experience Canada, and you could probably through the UK in there, too) are far from perfect, those nations are much closer to the goal of 100% accessibility than in most places. The "mole hills" I talk about may be small, but they certainly aren't insignificant, however in the greater scheme of things, how significant are they really? The focus of this post is going to be one of those other places, the main focus of this blog, China.
A rough estimate would put accessibility in most large US cities at a minimum of 60%, and in most cases much higher. That is a drastic difference from China where, best case scenario, it might be close to 25%. Let's break it down:
- Transportation: in China there are very few (if any) accessible bus stops and its the same with subways. There is no special transportation for disabled users. Anyone with a disability (including deafness) is barred from getting a driver's license. For the mobility impaired, there are special scooter/motorcycles that they can drive. Accessibility - (a liberal) 2%
- Education: so you found a way to get out of your house and you want to attend school, well, unless you can find a way to get in through the "back door" or have amazing test scores, the chances are minimal that you'll be able to attend a regular college (or high school for that matter). If you can't get in that way, then you're stuck going to a "special" university where you'll be forced into choosing between a very small number of majors. Accessibility - 25%
- Work: Okay, so you got out of the house and you got an education, now you want a job. The difficulty is that even though you have an education, there are so many other people who have an education and don't have the same "problems" as the disabled. Employers will discriminate against you, but there is no law to protect you. There are certain fields or easy ins for the deaf and blind, but everyone else is basically screwed. Accessibility - 10%
- Government Protection: Whether the Disabled Federation isn't willing to help or isn't able to help is an interesting question, but it really doesn't matter because at the end of the day, they can't help. The few laws that are in place to help the disabled are ignored, enforcement is non-existant, and nobody bothers to push or promote new laws.
As with what I said yesterday, the biggest problem is a total lack of compassion. Blame it on the age of the cities, blame it on the fact the cities are "poor," blame it on the fact there aren't that many disabled people to use the services (no doubt not becaue they don't exist, but because they can't get out of their homes), blame it on the Cultural Revolution; all of these things are important factors, but all of these things (with the exception of the last one) are things that other countries face and have gotten past. The "17 Hates" that I shared yesterday could probably be doubled when talking about the disabled, just some examples:
- an arm amputee somehow was able to get the doctor to lie on the physical exam necessary before students start college, after 3 months of studying, the dean found out about the amputee, who by all accounts was thriving, but was kicked out of school because of their physical condition.
- a national athlete, who happened to be blind, but was otherwise in perfect physical health was denied the insurance they needed to travel abroad because of their blindness, while many people who could see, but were in horrible physical shape are given insurance without even thinking.
- as mentioned above, a deaf person cannot get a driver's license solely because of their lack of hearing.
- those with mobility impairments often cannot get into "regular" universities and are forced to attend the "special" universities for the disabled, despite the fact that they require no accomodations other than possibly an elevator and a ramp.
While it is important to push for improved conditions in your own country, American (and Canada, and again, probably the UK) are heaven for the disabled, while many other countries are hellish. So take this day to complain (or I guess I should say, "highlight the conditions that need improvement where you are"), but also think about people everywhere else in the world and try to do something for the disabled elsewhere, too.
2007/04/11
I Told Ya So/Another China moment...
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about guide dogs in China and the reasons why the program would not work. However when I wrote that I never expected my concerns would become problems so quickly, yet that appears to be exactly what happened. A recent article from China Daily shows that Shanghai's plans on training guide dogs has hit a major stumbling block.
One of the main problems are the laws, which don't have a clause in them like in the US and Europe allowing guide dogs access to all public places. The article states that "city laws that ban dogs from streets, parks and public transport could prevent the guide dogs from carrying out their duties." Hmm, didn't anybody think of this ahead of time? The Shanghai Association for the Disabled representative is confident those laws can be amended to allow guide dogs public access, but I wouldn't be so sure. Even if they do change the laws, without enforcement in every case, the law is meaningless.
What you need more than anything is to promote knowledge. At the end the article talks about free white canes, but the problem is so few people actually know that those mean the user is blind. There is also the need to promote safe usage of canes and getting around amongst the blind. Oh well, like a lot of things in China, what is seen as most important is racing to catch up, in this case by having guide dogs like the rest of the world, instead of having a solid plan that is people-centric.
One of the main problems are the laws, which don't have a clause in them like in the US and Europe allowing guide dogs access to all public places. The article states that "city laws that ban dogs from streets, parks and public transport could prevent the guide dogs from carrying out their duties." Hmm, didn't anybody think of this ahead of time? The Shanghai Association for the Disabled representative is confident those laws can be amended to allow guide dogs public access, but I wouldn't be so sure. Even if they do change the laws, without enforcement in every case, the law is meaningless.
What you need more than anything is to promote knowledge. At the end the article talks about free white canes, but the problem is so few people actually know that those mean the user is blind. There is also the need to promote safe usage of canes and getting around amongst the blind. Oh well, like a lot of things in China, what is seen as most important is racing to catch up, in this case by having guide dogs like the rest of the world, instead of having a solid plan that is people-centric.
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