WLBT3
23rd July 2023
Visually impaired master's graduate: Striving for a barrier-free life
A news report from China.org.cn on China's new law on creating barrier-free living environments:
Having read over 10 million characters of academic journals with audio assistance and completed a 60,000-character thesis by touch typing, Dong Lina, China's first visually impaired postgraduate majoring in broadcasting, has earned her master's degree.
Standing on the stage during her commencement ceremony, she said, "May we strive not only for personal success, but also for the betterment of others and the world during our lifetimes."
Dong was born with amblyopia and lost her vision completely at the age of 10. She recalled how her teachers and older schoolmates at her special education school insisted that a massage therapist was the only viable career option for them in the future.
However, Dong did not think it has to be that way.
Dong is passionate about studying, enjoys reading and has an adventurous spirit. In 2006, she traveled to Beijing to take part in a charity training program in broadcasting for people with visual impairments. She then obtained the qualification to participate in the self-taught higher education examinations for visually impaired people in Beijing in 2011, and pursued a bachelor's degree in broadcasting and hosting. In 2015, Dong began working as a host on China National Radio, and in 2020 enrolled on a master's program at the Communication University of China.