About 75% of disabled Chinese unemployed( CNTV) 09:06, December 04, 2013
December 3rd marks the United Nation's World Day for Persons with Disabilities. Thisyear's theme is: "break barriers, open doors." But despite many reforms in China to boosttheir employment, opportunities for handicapped job-seekers in the world’s second-largesteconomy remain far from equal, with just over one in four disabled Chinese holding a job.
Grace Brown met one who took matters into his own hands, by starting a business of hisown.
Cao Jun is a tech entrepreneur in Beijing, with more than 2,000 people working for himacross China.
But success hasn’t come easy. He was born blind.
"Growing up, my greatest wish was to be like my friends. My teacher told me it wouldnever be possible, because I can’t see. I transferred to a school for the blind. There wasless pressure, but after graduating, I couldn’t find work anywhere, besides a blind massageparlor. It was exhausting, but there was no choice.” Cao said.
Cao saved up to start a business of his own, making apps to help blind people text andwalk... With the help of many blind employees.
At first, no one invested.
"When they saw I was blind, people walked out of interviews. They didn’t think workingfor a company managed by a blind person had a future.” Cao said.
But by cooperating with China’s biggest search engine, Baidu, business is now expanding.
"Please give a text to Yang Lin." "Ok, please say your message." "I won’t be home fordinner tonight.’’ ’’Confirming your message: Did you say, ’I won’t be home for dinnertonight?’ Send or delete?’’ ’’Send.’’ ’’Your text has been send.’’
Reporter: “China’s new leaders are undertaking sweeping reforms, to rebalance thecountry’s economy and include more people in it. But when it comes to getting a jobmillions of China’s disabled citizens are still being left behind.”
Official data shows by the end of last year, just over 22 of the more than 82 million disabledChinese had a job. And among those who did, most were in the countryside.
China has taken steps to close the gap, setting up a quota that demands employers reserveat least 1.5 percent of all jobs for disabled workers. But many prefer to pay the fine.
"Today, there are still many problems for disabled people getting jobs in China. Often, theirskills, training or education are very different. Companies are also less willing to hire them,because they worry about many things. For one, they can’t be fired as easily, because thefirm’s reputation may suffer." Ma Guangying, deputy-director of China Disabled Persons’Federation in Haidian, said.
Despite this, Cao is optimistic.
"I hope that through new technology, more blind people can leave the hardships of livingdarkness behind. I hope we can bring them light, and new ways of finding work.” Cao said.
（Editor：HuangJin、Zhang Qian）
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