“I am Han Ying, a blind stenographer from Shanghai. Although my eyes can’t see the colors in the world, I still have a colorful dream in my heart……” At the recent conference to honor praiseworthy groups and individuals associated with the fifth national model of self-improvement and to recognize those known for helping the disabled, Han Ying stepped into the Great Hall of the People, and narrated her own experience with great passion in front of Party and state leaders, as well as a massive audience.

As a representative of 940,000 disabled people in Shanghai, she was the first person to step up to the podium and was welcomed with warm applause from the whole audience. She herself was also greatly moved and felt a great deal of happiness. After coming back to Shanghai, she shared her own life experience with the reporter. 

Han Ying goes out and attends classes with the help of her service dog 

Going to the Great Hall of the People to Deliver a Speech

Han Ying learned that she had been selected from ten candidates in the country to be one of the four representatives who would step up to the podium and deliver a speech only after arriving in Beijing. And this time, she brought another surprise for all. 

That day, Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders met the representatives and shook their hands one by one. Han Ying felt very timid and didn’t know quite how or where to extend her hands. As the President came near, a senior soldier beside her grasped her hands and gave them to President Xi, introducing her like this, “President Xi, she is a blind person.” When other leaders approached, a female comrade behind her silently pushed Han Ying’s hands into the leader's hands one at a time. At that time she could only express her thanks. She never had a chance to learn the name of that warm-hearted woman, which was one of her only regrets on that trip.

She cherishes the help she receives from others deep in her heart. Han Ying said that her own metamorphosis couldn’t have been achieved without care from the people around her.

Finding A New World

Han Ying was a happy primary school teacher. Despite her eye disease, she ignored others’ discouraging remarks. She risked pregnancy and childbirth, which led to her complete loss of sight. At that time, she was only in her twenties. 

In the beginning, Han Ying couldn’t face this fact. She shed tears and applied for the disabled certificate. She changed her phone numbers constantly in order to cut off contact with outside world. Once every day, she would fold a flower from colorful paper. Once per month, she would fold a paper crane……This lasted for a long time, but she still couldn’t escape the dark shadow that hung over her.

In 2006, she called the disabled federation for the first time: “I can’t see anything, but I still want to go out!” The call was received by a woman, who said kindly, “Come on, we will train you mobility orientation!” That woman, whom she has still never met, became the morning star that would forever change her fate. “As long as I can go out of my house, I can do anything!” After she hung up the phone, she cried bitterly and then took her first step toward a fresh start.

When going through mobility orientation, she also began to learn how to use screen reader software for the blind with help from the disabled federation. One day she would learn how to play music, and the next she would learn how to type. She was gradually discovering a new world. In the beginning she couldn’t even raise her head, nor dare to speak. She needed her mother to accompany her to go out, and couldn't leave her side for a minute. But she eventually built up the courage to take off her dark glasses, and would never again naively tell herself that “with the dark glasses, other people can’t see me” — Han Ying had changed!

Creating Many Firsts

After her many achievements, when she now looks back on her past life, she remarks, “Actually I just wanted to go out of my house and get away from my depressed self. So I was willing to learn everything!” After using screen reader software to help herself “look at” books by using her ears, Han Ying remembered that she had previously been enrolled in the self-taught examination programme in Chinese Language and Literature (undergraduate), but which had been interrupted due to her blindness. She had previously passed nine of the fourteen exams.

In June of 2009, she returned to the classroom and received tutoring to help her catch up after being parted from her studies for eight years. She was also accompanied by her silent seeing-eye dog. At that time, she was not yet accustomed to the screen reader software, and the Classical Chinese was indecipherable to her. English words had to be played to her word by word. Some Latin symbols in “Introduction to Linguistics” had to be drawn in the palm of her hand or cut out with paperboard for her to grasp the general idea. Han Ying even thought about giving up, but she reminded herself to “treat it as opening a way for self-taught examination of the blind”, something that was encouraged by her teachers. This would renew her sense of responsibility and keep her from allowing her mind to consider retreat. “Not giving up means there are ways out. Vitality itself is magic.” Han Ying overcame many difficulties which are beyond the imagination of common people. She eventually finished all of the self-taught examination courses without any trouble, even finishing with results that were better than those she achieved before she was blind. She obtained the title “excellent self-taught student at the 30th anniversary of national higher education self-taught examination”. She smiled with relief when she heard the praise of teachers and students around her. 

This was the first miracle that Han Ying created for herself and other blind people. Later, she became the first blind person to take part in the English interpretation qualification in the country, the first blind person who passed the stenography test in Shanghai, and the first blind person to successfully apply for undergraduate study at the OUC. She won the first prize in drama and sketch class in national art performances for the disabled, and the first prizes in all kinds of English speech contests and essay contests in Shanghai and other places around the country. She not only set an example in self-improvement for all disabled people in society, but also helped many disabled people realize their dreams. Because of a long letter she wrote to the president of the OUC, in March this year, the Open University of Shanghai welcomed the first blind undergraduates.

Planning to Help People Stand on Their Own Feet

Han Ying has a new plan: to coordinate positions for disabled people in Shanghai to teach online classes in Chinese to foreigners. Charges will be USD 10 to 15 each hour, according to levels.

In 2011, Han Ying and her seeing-eye dog appeared in Xinmin Evening News. After half a year, she received a call from a familiar voice. The caller was an old close friend from the normal university, one she hadn't heard from for ten years. During the period after she went blind and closed herself off from the world, they had lost contact. But the friend didn’t forget her. After reading the report, the friend spared no effort in tracking down Han Ying's new phone number. The long lost friends were finally able to resume contact.

In January this year, her friend living in San Diego of the United States invited Han Ying and her seeing-eye dog to come to America for two months. Since Han Ying had experience teaching Chinese to overseas students, she investigated conditions in the United States and found that students in private high schools were interested in learning Chinese and were willing to help the disabled. Han Ying hoped to use her language skills to set up a bridge, helping Americans better understand the life of disabled people in China. At the same time, she hoped to help more disabled people in Shanghai earn a living, and realize the value of their own life through foreign exchanges.

Writer: Xinmin Evening News   Article: Sun Yun  Photo: Sun Zhongqin