A training class on live-stream commerce, the 1st of its kind, jointly held for disabled adults by Lishui Radio and TV University (Lishui RTVU) and the Lishui Disabled Persons’ Federation in order to support employment of the disabled and help them start their own businesses, as well as to implement the key strategic decisions and plans of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, and help realise the goal of "building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and leaving no disabled people behind", concluded recently. The event was attended by more than 70 disabled people in the city.

In order to meet the physical and mental needs of those attending, the class invited internet e-commerce celebrities and senior professors engaged in live-stream businesses to give easy instructions on live-broadcast preparation, short-video-script planning and writing, short-video shooting and editing, live studio marketing, live-broadcast discourse, and other areas. Over five days and nights, students learned the rules and skills related to online live-broadcast e-commerce currently used by major live-broadcast platforms, helping enhance their confidence and their familiarity with the internet, and focusing on situational teaching by arranging for them to participate in live-stream marketing events, and organising sales competitions among them. Afterwards, the trainees were asked to reflect on the experience.

"I used to watch people do live streaming and thought they really did a great job. The class has given me the same skills, and boosted my confidence that I can sell things via live streaming commerce on my own," said Fang Tianbei, a wheelchair-bound student from Jinyun County. "I was lucky to have been able to attend this class! It offered a lot of useful information. Live-stream commerce is a very appropriate business model for disabled people. The class has helped me and others like me find a new way to earn money through entrepreneurship. I want to give it many thumbs-up," said Li Xiaobo, a student from Longquan City.

During the class, the 14th China (International) Tea-merchant Conference in Songyang, also known as the Fragrant-tea Festival, was held online as a model for it, called "One-Together" and guided by the Lishui government together with the city's Disabled Persons' Federation, and operated in a market-oriented way. More than 70 disabled live-streaming hosts were invited to join in the live broadcast from the Damushan tea garden in Songyang. The event achieved remarkable results and received many favorable comments.

According to Wang Zhiyong, director of the Comprehensive Service and Guidance Centre of the Lishui Disabled Persons' Federation, "This customised training programme with a clear target aroused a strong response and achieved remarkable results. It's a very practical webcast training programme, offering disabled people new channels of employment and entrepreneurship, and providing them new opportunities to realise their own value. As the saying goes, “give someone a fish, you feed him once; teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. The class will greatly boost their confidence in finding employment in Lishui City, and we will continue to support them by recommending employment opportunities and providing entrepreneurial guidance. There will also be more such courses in the future."

By Hu Dehua, Lishui RTVU, Zhejiang Branch