Disabled reporters in Beijing explain how China has changed, stayed the same since 2008 Paralympics

From CCTV:

Among the reporters conducting interviews during the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in September 2008, Chinese handicapped reporters Yang Qingfeng (pictured) and Xie Yan were the focus of attention. These two young people worked for the Beijing 1+1 sound studio for people with visual impairment. One was blind, the other physically disabled. It was the first time that Chinese handicapped reporters had ever conducted interviews in the history of the Paralympics. Yang and Xie told stories about both the games and China to the world with their unique observations and perspectives.

With the first anniversary of the Beijing Paralympics approaching, a reporter talked with Yang and Xie by telephone about what happened after the event. They told many stories about things that able-bodied people may not have a chance to experience, revealing how great Beijing was in the past year.

Yang, 28, was born blind. When talking about Beijing’s post-Paralympics changes over the past year, Yang said that he was most afraid that the city would change, but it actuality remains unchanged. In this ‘unchanging’ Beijing there have, however, been some nice transformations.

Yang explained, “It was his unforgettable experience to conduct interviews during the Beijing Paralympics. Over the past year, I always walked along the streets with my cane tapping in front and carefully listened to the sounds in Beijing. We fear most that the city would change but in fact it remains unaltered! This is what many handicapped people have experienced.”

He went into details, “Whether the facilities and equipment installed for the Beijing Paralympics would be removed and whether various public services would still be available after the event, these are most concerned by the handicapped. Days ago, Xie and I, specially visited some restaurants, shopping malls, subways and banks to see whether these things have changed.”

Yang said, “Beijing’s Quanjude restaurant is famous worldwide. The waiter there showed us a menu written in Braille. We left the restaurant satisfied. Then we went to several large banks where service counters specially set up for handicapped people are still available. We also discovered that sidewalk facilities for the blind on buses and subway stations are well-equipped. On that day, there were many people who just went off work waiting for the bus and subway, but the able-bodied people did not jostle with us for the blind sidewalk. How fantastic! Beijing remains unchanged.”

Xie, director of the Beijing 1+1 sound studio for people with visual impairment, is physically disabled. “On some buses in Beijing, there is space where seats are not installed to specially reserve for wheelchairs. Seats have still not been installed, even though the Paralympics are over. This made us very happy as we care about that very much although it is a small thing. We were told by the public that the handicapped are able to travel as conveniently as the able-bodied. It’s great!” said Xie.

Yang told reporters, “I have asked some of my blind friends, and they all said that they had more outdoor activities during the past year. We experience the post-Paralympics convenient life by hearing, smelling and touching. We live as happily as the normal people.”