Feature: Visually impaired woman chases light of dreams

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Once a masseuse, a career path many suffering visual impairment would take in China, Dong Lina, 39, braved all the challenges and carved out a new possibility for her life.

Born into a farmer's family in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Dong was diagnosed with congenital amblyopia and went blind at the age of 10.

Like many visually-impaired children, she finished compulsory education at a school for disabled people and began learning Tuina, a type of therapeutic massage. In 2003, she obtained a job at a massage parlor.

Her life back then was like a preset route, but Dong was reluctant to take it for granted.

"Teachers always told me to learn massage well as it's 'the only way out' for me, but still, I was not content, and I wanted more options in life," said the brave, determined woman.

One day she found that a public welfare organization in Beijing had an anchor training program for visually impaired youth. Dong, who has been lauded for having a good voice since childhood, realized that this might be her big moment, and she plucked up the courage and made a life-changing phone call.

"The recruitment had already ended at that time, but the head of the organization was moved by my sincerity and was willing to offer me a chance," said Dong with great gratitude.

After the training at the organization, Dong was recommended to a workshop at a radio station where she was the only visually-impaired person in the class. Her physical handicap forced her to make an extra effort in her spare time. Before each class, she needed to transcribe all the handouts into Braille.

"My pronunciation was often not accurate, yet I could not correct it by looking into the mirror, and the teacher figured out a way that I touched his mouth to imitate the way he pronounced," said Dong.

Despite all the difficulties, Dong achieved the top level in the Mandarin proficiency test, indicating that she is qualified to work as a professional anchor.

In 2010, Dong participated in a national recitation contest, in which the organizers were impressed by her passion and encouraged her to study at the Communication University of China (CUC).

In 2020, she became the host of a radio program and this year, she returned to the CUC to pursue a master's degree in broadcast and television. She also works as a part-time teacher in a language institution, sharing her expertise with more people.

China has about 85 million people with disabilities, of which over 17 million suffer from visual impairment.

Over the decades, the country has been striving to support the education, employment, and welfare of people with disabilities, enabling handicapped people like Dong to expand their career options and pursue a better life quality. It has also designated the third Sunday of each May as a national day of assisting disabled persons, which falls on May 21 this year.

"Life may not be perfect, but we can make up for it with our own effort and the support of society," said Dong. "As more and more attention is paid to people with disabilities, I hope more of them can realize their dreams and create their own bright future."