"Sign language is as beautiful as any languages tha at people speak. it can create equally wonderful lives and stories."

一 Heng Miao

Heng Miao, 45, a Beijing native, is a supervisor at the Beijing Sign Language Research Association. She is engaged in research and advocacy work at the National Research Centre for Universal Sign Language and Braille. She is married. The photo shows her and her son snuggling up together and smiling to the camera.

Photo Credit: Heng Miao

 “My son is still too young to realize that I cannot see. When he grows up, I will talk with him about it very frankly. All moms are different. Not being able to see is just a quality of mine."

一 Li Na

Li Na is a job developer for persons with visual impairments. After having her son, Li Na finds that her life has more possibilities. In the photo, Li Na's son just woke up and Li Na is comforting him in her arms.

Photographer: Cai Cong

Photo Credit: Cai Cong

“Who says wheelchair users always need others' help? Who says you need flexible hands to do beautiful makeup? We want to look good and also live well!"

一 Yang Suling

Yang Suling has lived with a cervical spinal cord injury caused by a disease since she was 16. Over the years, she has been living independently and trying to help other persons with disabilities build up their confidence to participate fully in society. In the photo, a makeup artist is applying makeup on Suling.

Photo Credit: Yang Suling

“I come from the beautiful and colorful Yunnan Province. Although I lost my sight at a young age, I still remain optimistic and passionate about life. I love being with my kids and feeling the miraculous changes of plants in nature."

一 Wang Jiao

ln the photo, Wang Jiao and her two children are picking beans in the garden. Huang Youxi, her daughter, and Huang Youzi, her son, both look very happy.

Photo Credit: Wang Jiao

Wu Liquan is a person with visual impairment. He has repeatedly spoken out for persons with disabilities on disability rights and social issues through writing under the pseudonym of Wu Liquan. Today, he is a user experience expert at the expert committee of Accessibility Research Association, dedicated to promoting accessibility development to allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of new technologies equally.

Photo Credit: Accessibility Research Association

“This type of dance - Contact Improvisation - changed me. My body is useful and can support a person. I feel confident."

一 Zai Jin

Zhai Jin is a professional illustrator and cartoonist, and also a core member of the Mistakable Symbiotic Dance Troupe, a leading disability art modern dance troupe in China. In the photo, ZhaiJin performs contact improvisation dance at the 3rd China-UK Disability Arts Forum in 2021, organised by the British Council in China and Body on&on.

Photo Credit:British Council China and Body on&on

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Photographer: Zeng Haiyang

Chinchin likes to go to school. She is curious about things around her and gains a sense of fulfillment from her studies.

Photographer: Ho Wing Yan, Occupational Therapist
Photo Credit: Classroom Training of "Sensory Room" in Caritas Lok Yi School

 Jianshao has unique perceptions about painting. Some of his paintings were exhibited in the Inclusive Art Painting Exhibition in Shunde District, Foshan City. In the photo, the painting "One" behind him is his own work, in which he uses composition and colors to express his understanding of the number 1.

Photo Credit: Foshan Shunde Albert Wu Rehabilitation Center, Guangdong

 Life Band of Fuhong Society of Macau is the first rock band in Macao jointly established by people with and without disabilities. The band is playing on stage in the photo.

Photo Credit: Fuhong Society of Macau

In 2022, Beijing Happy Inclusion Social Work Center organized several activities under the“Disability Inclusion in the Forbidden City" Initiative, leading nearly 100 persons with different disabilities to visit the Forbidden City. ln the photo, Zhang Chaohua and Yang Liuqing are learning about the structures of the Forbidden City through touch.

Photo Credit: Beijing Happy Inclusion Social Work Center
(Formerly known as Beijing Enable Sister Center)

Yueming has been working in Hello Cocoa for nine months now. At the very beginning, Yueming was shy and not good at talking with others, but through working with a group of "special" colleagues, she started to receive guests, sell and deliver goods, share her work and stories on stage, and receive radio interviews about her work. Behind every ordinary figure, there is a beautiful story.

Photo Credit: Autism Hong Kong,
Centre for Special Educational Needs and Inc clusive Education of The Education University of Hong Kong

"My name is Zhang Weijun. I am a person with visual impairment, a Beijing drifter. In my spare time, I like to read, play guitar, and sing songs."

一 Zhang Weijun

Zhang Weijun is a slashie who is a translator, a social worker and a podcast manager. In the photo, Weijun is playing guitar.

Photo and Video Credit: Zhang Weijun

“Although I am prone to fractures, it doesn't stop me from exploring new things.”

一 Wang Mengxing

Wang Mengxing is a post-90 girl, who works as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. She has worked and lived in South China previously, but has now settled in North China. Since 2019, she has started to work as a freelancer. The three pictures on the right side of the photo are her works featuring girls with disabilities.

Photo and Image Credit: Beijing Happy Inclusion Social Work Center
(Formerly known as Beijing Enable Sister Center)

“Women with disabilities face multiple challenges in the world, but they have various internal motivations to solve these challenges and problems. However, it is not enough to rely solely on the individuals. An inclusive environment is key to the development of won men and girls with disabilities."

一 Peng Yujiao

Peng Yujiao has been paying attention to social issues faced by women with disabilities since 2017. Together with several women with rare diseases, she has established a public welfare organization dedicated to serving women with disabilities.

Photo Credit: Beijing Happy Inclusion Social Work Center (Formerly known as Beijing Enable Sister Center)

"I don't have the ability to help the entire country or go to disaster areas to provide relief, but I know the needs of persons with visual impairments like me, and I want to do my best to help them enter the world of the Internet."

一 Shen Guangrong

Shen Guangrong, a post-95 engineer with visual impairment, is not only a beneficiary of accessibility features, but also an enabler. In his daily life, he likes to play video games and has developed on his own an accessible version of the game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds for pe ersons with visual impairments.

Photo Credit: Accessibility Research Association

“From the Paralympic Games to the Winter Paralympic Games, over the past 14 years, I have devoted myself to volunteer services for persons with disabilities, bringing a group of people together to provide happiness for persons with disabilities."

一 Li Nan

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralym pic Games, Li Nan participated in volunteer services to promote the Olympic spirit and advocate for the concepts of equality, participation and sharing.

Photo Credit: Li Nan

"My work is a projection of my professional experience. The handcuffs represent the invisible barriers in my work. I believe l can do better, but my hearing impairment limits me. So I want to break through bondages brought by the hearing impairment and become better and stronger."

一Xu Xueyan

Xu Xueyan, a post-95 designer and illustrator, graduated from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is a front-line advertiser. She created Flying in the“Women's Voices” exhibition, which shows the real plight of women with hearing impairments through photography and painting.

Photo Credit: Chongqing Liangjiang New Area KnowDeaf Social Work Service Center

"They all say that barriers divide people into two groups. My work is to gradually break down the wall in between. If barriers are removed and we respect each other, will there be any gap between people? No!”

一 Ni Yingjie

Ni Yingjie, a post-80 woman with hearing impairment, is the co-founder of Sign Access and former director of sign language teaching at iSigner based in Shanghai. She has been continuously promoting the concept of accessible sign language, and training sign language interpreters. She has been carrying out public welfare activities for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in many places, including by providing protection services for the rights of women with hearing impairments.

Photo Credit: Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area KnowDeaf Social Work Service Center

“Nowadays, there is a high demand for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge among people with hearing impairments. We held some offline SRH workshops for women with hearing impairments before, and found out that the understanding of sexuality education and SRH knowledge of many women with hearing impairments is lower than that of other people of the same age. I want to do more advocacy work."

一 Peng Linqian

Peng Linqian is currently the director of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area KnowDeaf Social Work Service Center and CEO of Sound Follow-Up. Over the years, she has been committed to promoting education among the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, with special focus on gender diversity and SRH education for women with hearing impairments. She is the initiator of the exhibition “Women's Voices” and has held many public lectures on fighting against gender-based violence.

Photo Credit: Chongqing Liangjiang New Area KnowDeaf Social Work Service Center

Li Shihao has been interested in painting from an early age. Since 2007, he has actively participated in local and overseas painting competitions and received a number of awards for his work. In recent years, he has been involved in promoting sand painting and painting art for people with intellectual disabilities. In the photo, Shihao is painting.

Photo Credit: Autism Hong Kong and Centre for Special Educational Needs and Inclusive
Education of The Education University of Hong Kong

A Qiu is a member of the "Friends" car beauty service team. With his agile moves, A Qiu is doing a good job. He cherishes his current job very much. The recognition and praise of customers is his greatest motivation!

Photo Credit: Foshan Shunde Albert Wu Rehabilitation Center, Guangdong

Zejie has been working as a cashier at Love Supermarket since 2020. Since then, his life has become colorful. Not only has he made new friends, but has also started dating.

Photo Credit: Foshan Shunde Albert Wu Rehabilitation Center, Guangdong

Li Yu is the leader of the HIV Prevention Core Group for people with hearing impairments at Beijing Love Without Borders, a community partner of UNAIDS. He shares knowledge of HIV prevention and treatment through online live broadcasting, benefiting many teenagers with hearing impairments. In the photo, he is live streaming online.

Photo Credit: Beijing Love Without Borders

"I hope everyone can embrace the difficulties in life with optimism, cherish learning opportunities, and strive to realize the value of life!"

一Village Guardian Chen Zifang

Originally from Hubei, Chen Zifang runs his online shop“Chen Zifang Shop” to sell local potatoes, oranges, Chinese herbs, Chinese bacon, bush wine and other local products. From 2017 to 2021, he helped a total of 270 households in Badong County. Among them, the sales of agricultural and sideline products produced by 147 households in poverty amounted to more than 9 million yuan, helping more than 500 people increase their income.

Photo Credit: Douyin Group

Cao Shengkang is a rock-climbing enthusiast. Apart from rock climbing, hiking, windsurfing and judo are all his hobbies. Having traveled to 6 continents and 35countries, Cao Shengkang never stops exploring and dreams of travelling around the world. In the photo, Cao Shengkang is rock climbing. Relying on his sense of touch, he grabs the next climbing hold. Non-visual photographer Cai Cong took this photograph under the guidance of his coach.

Photographer: Cai Cong

Photo Credit: Cai Cong

He Yajun founded his own running group for persons with visual impairments in 2015. Running was a turning point in his life, allowing him to build a healthy body, gain confidence and find his goals and dreams in life. In the photo, with a leading rope tightly held in his hand, He Yajun is about to finish a 10-kilometer run with the help of volunteer runners.

Photographer: Cai Cong

Photo Credit: Cai Cong

Believing that exercise can help reduce stress and discomfort caused by the side effects of medication, Hui Ge always finds time for exercise every day. Cycling is his favorite sport. Through cycling, he is able to wander through the streets of his town freely and experience its changes from day to day.

Photo Credit: Foshan Shunde Albert Wu Rehabilitation Center, Guangdong

“Rush down the slope, enjoy wind and snow, and transform fear into courage and confidence!"

一Dong Meizi

Dong Meizi is an application development analyst at Accenture and one of the founders of the Accenture Sign Language Club. She won the first prize in Accenture Greater China Technology Innovation Contest this year for her project on a disability-inclusive employment platform, which has helped more persons with disabilities to take a brave first step in job hunting.

Photo Credit: Dong Meizi

Xiao Jia has been practicing yoga for fourteen years. Along the way, she hasn't only been practicing on her own, but also leads hundreds of people with visual impairments to practice with her. At the same time, she works to promote the concept of eyes-free yoga and welcomes more persons without disabilities to experience eyes-free yoga.

Photo Credit: Xiao jia

"First and foremost, I am a person. Disability is only one of my many qualities. Nothing can define me. Nothing can limit me."

- Small Wolf

Small Wolf wants to become a wolf king. She was a swimming champion. Now she is working hard to be a professional swimming instructor. She wants to swim in the ocean and dance underwater. She wants to show that it is also meaningful for persons with visual impairments to dive in the sea. She wants to support people with disabilities to go out and enjoy life.

Photo credit: Intemational Labour Organization

“I can sense the vibration of the basketball bouncing on the floor with my feet while dribbling. For me, as a person with hearing impairment, my body is my ear.”

一Liu Nian

Liu Nian is a post-90 designer. He has worked for Accenture since 2021. In his spare time, he likes to play basketball with his colleagues. The photo depicts a competition held in the company. Liu Nian played on a team of persons with hearing impairments against those without hearing impairments.

Photo credit: Liu Nian

Krankin' Thru China(KTC) is a Beijing-based international outdoor team composed of members with and without disabilities. Over the years, KTC has been advocating for the promotion of adaptive sports and accessible transportation for persons with disabilities in China. The photo was taken on their way to Tiger Leaping Gorge during KTC's Dream Ride from Shangri-la to Dali in 2015. (From left to right: Wang Feng, Joshua Dominick, Domonic Corradin)

Photo Credit: Haige