Global Times
20th May 2013
Few chances in sight - China
Blind masseur Li Jinsheng, 45, has been waiting for more than a year for the chance to retake an exam that would give him national certification from the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) and allow him to become a massage therapist.
When he took the exam in 2012, he was too slow at reading the Braille questions, and since then he has written to the CDPF on four occasions to ask them to establish an electronic certification system.
"I studied Braille in my 20s and felt it was tough to use. I couldn't even finish reading the paper during the 150 minutes I was allowed," Li, who lives in Zhumadian, Henan Province, told the Global Times Thursday. "If there had been an electronic test or facilities to help, I would have been able to finish the exam quickly."
In a letter Li received on May 7, he was told that the CDPF is liaising with the relevant authorities to establish an electronic certification test, which will be finished by the end of the year and involve listening to questions through headphones and answering using a specially designed keyboard.
"My efforts paid off. If I had a medical massage certificate, I would be able to run my clinic legally and receive government subsidies," Li said.