"I feel very warm and very moved to receive this Braille version of the representative’s suggested reply. It is a tangible,’ visible’ and heavy answer to our blind people. "
Recently, at the Fujian Disabled Persons’ Federation, Wang Yongcheng, a representative of the National People’s Congress, received suggestions from representatives in Braille from the Ministry of Education of China, the National Health and Wellness Commission of China, China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation. This is the first time that the NPC deputies have produced a Braille version of the deputies’ suggestions.
Wang Yongcheng is the only blind representative in the 14th National People’s Congress.
After his accidental blindness at the age of 19, he overcame many difficulties and gradually became the chief physician of medical massage for the blind. Later, he held a training course on blind massage and founded the Fujian Strait Massage Guidance Center for the Blind. Over the past ten years, he trained more than 6,000 blind masseurs free of charge, and the employment rate reached 98%, which led more blind people to embark on the road of poverty alleviation and self-reliance.
"I came out of the countryside and knew the sufferings and needs of blind brothers and sisters." Before going to Beijing to attend the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, Wang Yongcheng visited and investigated everywhere to collect the demands of the disabled groups for equal participation in society and sharing the fruits of development. "Although we can’t see ourselves, we can let more people see us!"
During the investigation, Wang Yongcheng learned that ordinary textbooks are easy to cause visual fatigue for students with low vision who study in regular classes, which affects the quality of integrated education. "Many parents report that their children can’t keep up, can’t stay and can’t learn well in class."
To this end, he submitted the "Proposal on Publishing Large Text Textbooks for Students with Low Vision in Regular Classes", calling for meeting the learning needs of students with low vision and speeding up the construction of barrier-free environment.
In May, the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People’s Congress went to Fujian to investigate the draft law on barrier-free environment construction, and listened to the opinions of representative Wang Yongcheng face to face. In June, the third meeting of the 14th the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) was held, and Wang Yongcheng was invited to attend the meeting. On June 28th, the meeting voted to pass the law on barrier-free environment construction. Paragraph 2 of Article 31 of the law stipulates: "The state encourages the compiling and publishing units of teaching materials to compile and publish teaching books in Braille and low-vision versions according to the reality of different educational stages to meet the learning needs of the blind and other visually impaired students." Representative Wang Yongcheng’s suggestion was adopted.
According to the staff of the Ministry of Education, 13 large-print textbooks have been launched in the autumn semester of 2023. In the next step, the Ministry of Education will continue to promote the development of integrated education with relevant departments to provide more convenience for students with low vision to study in regular classes.
Regarding the production of the Braille version of the reply, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), on behalf of the relevant person in charge of the Working Committee, introduced that as the production of the Braille version of the reply involves translation, proofreading, auditing, printing and other work, the requirements are high, the procedures are strict, and the time is tight. On behalf of the Working Committee, he has always maintained close communication with the relevant contractors, and actively contacted China Braille Publishing House to complete the production of the reply as scheduled and accurately in late October.
"The door-to-door delivery of the reply is to implement the provisions of the Representative Law to provide protection for representatives to perform their duties as representatives, and to ensure that the representatives receive the suggestions in time and understand the handling of the reply." The relevant person in charge of the Working Committee of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC)’s deputies said that this is also the full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Law on the Construction of Barrier-free Environment and the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, highlighting the protection and respect for the rights and interests of disabled representatives, and showing special care and concern for disabled representatives.
Recently, a number of organizers arrived in Fuzhou and submitted a Braille version of the representative’s suggested reply to Wang Yongcheng, a representative of the National People’s Congress. The picture shows Wang Yongcheng reading the Braille version of the suggested reply. Guo Xuan photo
After receiving the reply, Wang Yongcheng touched Braille, carefully read the reply word by word, and communicated with the relevant organizer on the handling situation.
"In the beginning, I felt deeply responsible and glorious." Wang Yongcheng admits that from the moment he knew that he would attend the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, he felt uneasy. "I was afraid that I would not perform my duties well and I was afraid that I would not be able to attend the meeting smoothly." After the meeting, his worries were dispelled.
As a staff member, his wife accompanied him all the way. When he went to the Great Hall, he was equipped with a special car, barrier-free access and a computer for the blind in the room … In order to facilitate Wang Yongcheng’s performance, during the conference, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) knew his special needs in advance and provided thoughtful and meticulous service guarantee.
Organize relevant organizers to conduct field research and face-to-face discussions with representatives of Wang Yongcheng; Organize training courses for NPC deputies to help them improve their ability to perform their duties; Absorb and adopt the representative’s suggestions and write them into the law on the construction of barrier-free environment … During the intersessional period, the the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) Municipal Working Committee of Representatives continued to provide service guarantee for the representatives to perform their duties, and promoted the representatives’ suggestions to handle the whole process of communication and contact, and supported and guaranteed the representatives to perform their duties "non-stop" according to law.
During the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, Wang Yongcheng put forward three deputies’ suggestions; During the intersessional period, one representative proposal was put forward. Four suggestions related to employment for the blind, education, barrier-free environment construction and other issues have been completed.
"Intimate care and warm service", representative Wang Yongcheng was very satisfied with the handling of the work, and used these eight words to evaluate the proposed handling process.
"I brought the voices of the most grassroots and most disabled people to the CPC Central Committee and relevant state departments, and the (suggested handling) was smooth and smooth, thanks to the active promotion of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), and of course it was inseparable from the cooperation and support of relevant departments. Institutional guarantee is the most important thing. " He said.
"Through the handling of the recommendations, the relevant departments will further form a joint force to solve the difficulties and problems encountered in the process of progress, and jointly promote the disabled to receive better education, fuller employment and extensive integration into social life." Zhou Jian, director of the Rights Protection Department of China Disabled Persons’ Federation, said.
Behind the continuous development of the cause of the disabled is the superiority of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system. The story of Wang Yongcheng tells the true meaning of people’s democracy in the whole process, interprets the power of the people’s congress system, and writes a new chapter in the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. (Guo Xuan)
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