The Voice of America (VOA) reports that China's Disabled Persons Performing Troupe, which has 88 performers with hearing, visual or physical impairments, is gearing up to perform for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, which will follow the Olympics.VOA says:
Together they present a dazzling and sometimes moving spectacle of song, dance, drama and poetry delivered in sign language. They have performed in about 60 nations and are to highlight next month's Para-Olympic Games in Beijing.
The troupe's art director is 28-year-old Tai Lihua, from northern Hubei province China. She lost her hearing when she was two-years old (because of a medicine reaction) and joined the group when she was 15. Using sign language translated by a colleague, she says the troupe was formed 21 years ago to raise awareness about the abilities and the plight of disabled people.
She says she recruits performers from a national special arts performance every four years, from referrals from organizations for the disabled and through the Troupe's own training program for young talent.
Disabled people in China now have more support Tai says support for disabled people in China has greatly improved in recent years.She says in the major cities now there are guide dogs and special ramps at corners for blind people. There is text on television for the hearing impaired. And she says disabled people are now allowed to drive in China.
Disabled people are also gaining access to education, and as a result their rate of illiteracy has fallen from 59 percent in 1987 to 43 percent today.
A Chinese government survey says 83 million people in China, more than six percent of the population, live with some form of disability. And of the nearly eight million living in urban areas, about two-thirds are unemployed.
