New ways of employment

● Xia Rongqiang

A prominent sign of building a well-off society in an all-round way is that the average living standard of people of all ethnic groups in China has improved significantly (it is generally believed that the per capita annual income should reach 3000 US dollars). This is an arduous task for the disabled, who account for nearly one twentieth of the national population. Facing this grand goal and this difficult but hopeful road, what should disabled people do? Is it passive and idle, or is it refreshing and competitive? I think we should choose the latter without hesitation, speed up the follow-up pace, and not hold back the country's efforts to build a well-off society in an all-round way.

China has 8.77 million blind compatriots, most of whom live in vast rural areas. Since the reform and opening up, with the rapid development of the cause of the disabled and blind massage in China, blind massage has become the main channel for the employment of the blind in cities and towns, and a number of blind medical massage workers and blind health massage personnel have been trained in various places. So far, there are more than 20,000 blind massage doctors engaged in medical services; There are more than 40,000 blind people engaged in health massage services. After the Tenth Five-Year Plan, the total number of these two types of blind massage workers is expected to exceed100000. Engaging in medical or health massage is indeed one of the best channels for blind people to obtain employment.

In recent years, the economic situation and quality of life of the vast majority of blind people engaged in massage medical care and health massage services have undergone fundamental changes, which has made other types of disabled people look at each other with new eyes. According to incomplete statistics, it is common for blind massage workers to earn about 1000 yuan a month. Skilled blind massage doctors, or those who engage in massage services in big cities and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, also abound with a monthly salary of more than 2,500 yuan or 3,000 yuan. These excellent blind people took the lead in reaching the living and income level of building a well-off society in an all-round way.

Although blind massage has brought a bright side to blind employment, it is a very small part of the blind in terms of the total number of blind people in China. There are still quite a few blind people, especially those in rural areas, who are still under great pressure and encounter all kinds of troubles in employment. How to fully mobilize the work enthusiasm and employment enthusiasm of blind people with various cultural levels and physical conditions living in different regions, and how to effectively tap the strengths and potentials of all kinds of blind people to meet their employment needs? Personally, I think we can analyze and discuss how to further broaden the employment channels for the blind in the future from two levels.

First of all, I want to talk about the first level of employment for the blind, that is, knowledge-based employment:

After massage for the blind, there is another employment form with great development potential in recent years, which has entered the ranks of knowledge-based employment for the blind. This is piano tuning for the blind. In fact, piano tuning itself, as a form of employment for the blind, has a long history. Take Fuzhou, Fujian Province as an example. As early as 1930s, a blind man named Liu Tianchuan was sent to England by a school for the blind run by the British Church at that time to learn piano tuning and piano maintenance techniques. After returning home, he brought out several piano tuning lawyers for the blind in Fuzhou. Li Bailin, Chen Zhongliang, Tamia Liu and so on. They are all excellent disciples brought out by Teacher Liu Tianchuan. These blind piano tuning lawyers enjoyed a high reputation in Fuzhou piano tuning market in the middle of last century and the sixties and seventies. Even those piano tuning lawyers with unique vision can't compare with these blind people in business and level.

Later, the employment market of piano tuning for the blind really shrank, and fewer and fewer blind people were engaged in this field. At the end of last century, under the active advocacy and organization of Mr. Li from Beijing School for the Blind, with the enthusiastic support and help of the leaders of Beijing School for the Blind and relevant parties, the piano tuning college class for the blind was announced. In recent years, blind lawyers 100% trained by piano tuning classes in beijing school for the blind are employed, and even many employers are in short supply. Some blind tuning lawyers have just worked for a few years. Because of their excellent work and superb technology, they have obtained senior professional titles in piano tuning. With the deepening of reform and opening up and the improvement of people's living standards, more and more pianos have entered the homes of ordinary people. We can expect that the piano tuning market for the blind will be full of vitality in the future.

In addition to the two familiar and operable employment channels for the blind mentioned above, here are three knowledge-based occupations for the blind with successful cases. Of course, these three knowledge-based occupations are out of reach for most blind people, but it may be helpful for blind people to enhance their self-confidence and understand their potential.

One of them is computer software development. This profession requires a high personal IQ and a solid knowledge base. Typical blind people who have achieved success in this field are: Zhu Shuangliu of Shanghai, who first designed and developed Braille input method software, so that blind people can directly input Chinese characters with Braille point input method on the computer; Wang Yongde, Guangdong Province,/kloc-0 started to contact computers in April, 1997, and 10 developed the blind DOS system database. At the end of 1999, the "Yongde screen reading voice software" of computer Windows system was successfully designed and developed, which opened up a barrier-free way for the blind to use computers to operate databases, edit articles, send and receive emails and browse the Internet. Wang Zhiyuan, Hunan successfully designed and developed another blind database operating system and a blind massage management software through computer research. Wang Shilong, who was blind halfway, was not discouraged. He carefully studied the computer input technology of Chinese characters, and successfully developed the "Fiona Fang Classification Pictograph (Malone Chinese Character Input Technology)", and obtained the national patent. We believe that talents in this field will continue to stand out in the future and become a beautiful landscape in the knowledge-based employment of the blind.

The other is Chinese-English translation. In recent years, many high-quality blind people have taken part in free English correspondence study in China Hedley School for the Blind. A considerable number of blind students have greatly improved their English cultural quality and level through English learning, and began to show their talents in English translation. Some of them get paid by translating scientific and technological information from foreign magazines into Chinese and publishing it in domestic newspapers and periodicals. Of course, there is still a big gap to become a career with stable income and the ability to support the family. Recently, Chen Xiajiong, a Shanghai student in a branch school, used her English knowledge to find a new way to find a job, which really gave people new inspiration. A few months ago, Chen Xiajiong learned from the Internet that a translation company in Shanghai wanted to recruit a text translator, so he boldly contacted him by email. Through the trial translation of several English letters, the employer was very satisfied and immediately decided to hire Chen Xiajiong as the company's translator. Chen Xiajiong only needs to work at home every day, receive Chinese and English letters from the company through the Internet, and then translate them and send them back to the company by email. This work from home gives Chen Xiajiong a steady income of 1200 yuan every month. Can this also set a good example for other blind friends with such professional knowledge and conditions in knowledge-based employment?

Another is to run schools and classes. Running schools and classes here refers to running schools by social forces, which belongs to the category of private education. The conditions of this knowledge-based employment or entrepreneurship depend to a great extent on the blind people's strong professional knowledge and personal entrepreneurial courage. The following are two concrete examples of students from Fuzhou Branch of Hedley School for the Blind who successfully applied for running schools and classes for English majors:

One is Gao Lu in Dunhua, Jilin. He is one of the earliest students in China Fuzhou Branch of Hedley School for the Blind. 1989, he began to use his knowledge of English to teach English to the discerning people and primary school students near his residence, which had achieved good social and economic benefits at that time. After years of practice, I have summed up a lot of experience in teaching and organizing teaching, and Gao Lu has finally successfully embarked on the formal road of running a school. In 2000, Chunhua English School, which he founded, obtained the license issued by Dunhua Municipal Education Commission. At present, Gao Lu Chunhua English School has opened more than ten classes, including primary school, junior high school and senior high school, with more than 700 students studying. Gao Lu not only bought the school building, but also bought all the teaching equipment needed in the teaching process. Isn't the success of his business worth learning?

Another successful school is Huang Xixiang of Gaizhou, Liaoning Province. He also did well in China School for the Blind, Fuzhou Branch. 200 1, Huang Xixiang also applied for the establishment of an English training class for primary school students in the Ming Dynasty. This English tutoring institution named "Future English Training Course" has more than 80 English tutors for primary and secondary school students. As a result, Huang Xixiang achieved a double harvest of social and economic benefits.

Some of the above-mentioned employment channels for knowledge-based blind people have developed quite well, while others are being further improved and gradually expanded. In fact, the knowledge-based work that the blind can do is far more than that. Taking writing as an example, many blind people have quite high writing ability. Some of them often publish poems and essays in newspapers and magazines; Some have made great achievements in novel creation. However, whether the blind can turn writing into a career with a stable income and how to achieve this goal need to be explored and studied.

Another intriguing success story is that blind people are engaged in motor maintenance. There is such a blind man in Anhui who wrote his own legendary experience in this respect. The blind man has been interested in playing with electric motors since he was a child, and often learns the knowledge of motor maintenance from his brother. Once, in the eyes of suspicion, he became famous by repairing a broken water pump motor. Later, the blind man opened a car maintenance service department, which was quite prosperous and famous. Automobile maintenance has really become a fixed occupation for the blind, which is mainly based on knowledge and skills. From this example, can we be further enlightened that there are only unexpected things and nothing impossible, even for the blind? It seems that there is still considerable potential to broaden the idea of employment for the blind.

On the level of knowledge-based employment for the blind, I finally want to raise two discussion points:

The first point is: Can blind people become legal advisers and psychological counselors? Theoretically and logically, this is not a problem. Many blind people are gifted, extremely intelligent and have amazing memories. If there are conditions for these blind people to study and further their professional knowledge in law or psychology, why can't they become experts in this field? I think, if on the one hand, our universities can create conditions to admit blind people who choose their major, or the self-study examination for higher education can open up a green channel for these blind people, and on the other hand, the legal departments and psychological counseling institutions can update their concepts and absorb these qualified professionals to practice in this field, it is possible to train our own blind lawyers and psychological counseling workers like some developed countries. Because the key to doing these two jobs well lies in human brain and IQ (as well as human memory, understanding, logical thinking ability and right and wrong judgment ability, etc. ), many blind people have this talent.

The second point is: can blind people in rural areas engage in the cultivation of edible fungi? Mushrooms and other edible fungi are delicious, have high nutritional value, and can also prevent cancer, which is a favorite table food for most people. The space in rural areas is large, unlike the residential areas in cities, and the site problem of edible fungi cultivation is easier to solve. On the other hand, the cultivation of edible fungi is a static operation, unlike running around raising chickens and ducks, which is dynamic and difficult for the blind to control. Therefore, if the blind people in rural areas can learn and master the cultivation techniques of edible fungi and form a smooth sales channel, then edible fungi cultivation may be a better channel for the blind people in rural areas to get rid of poverty and become rich. Personally, I think that if this is a way that can be considered and tried in the future, it must be prepared in the following three aspects: first, the Disabled Persons' Federation must appoint someone to take charge of this project and invite professionals to conduct classroom training and on-site demonstration for the blind; Second, from the employment security fund for the disabled, some funds are proposed to buy strains for the blind (or lend money to the blind to buy strains) to organize and guide production; Three, contact the purchase and sales market, do a good job in logistics services for the blind.

In addition, it should be pointed out that the feasibility and success rate of this knowledge-based employment will be higher if the blind can have the assistance of discerning people in the process of cultivating from strains to mushroom seedlings.

Next, I want to talk about the second level of broadening employment channels for the blind, that is, skilled manual employment. This kind of employment does not require high academic qualifications, nor does it require learning professional theoretical knowledge. Production operations are mainly carried out through manual labor, and practice makes perfect. Therefore, it is more suitable for the employment choice of rural blind people.

In the past, most people talked about the employment of the blind, often talking about the blind in cities, and rarely involved the employment needs of the blind in rural areas, which accounted for a large proportion of the total number of blind people. In order to fundamentally change the overall situation of the low employment rate of the blind in China and keep up with the pace of building a well-off society in an all-round way, our work should focus on the employment of the rural blind, who account for the vast majority of the total blind population in China. The characteristics of this group of blind people are: large number, low education level, poor ability to participate in social interaction, like stability, do not like walking around. But it is undeniable that most blind people have normal IQ and have the ability to learn and accept new things. As long as this group of blind people can be trained in a planned and organized way, their practical ability will be greatly exerted. In view of these characteristics, I want to talk about my views and ideas on the employment of technical blind people.

First of all, let's talk about the feasibility of weaving and compiling articles. This is employment for the blind. The ability of the blind to knit by hand is obvious to all, and it has also been proved by practice. Everyone must have heard of the case of blind people knitting sweaters. Some blind people will weave different colors on sweaters. In the 1960s, the blind in Fuzhou organized the production of bamboo woven products, such as thermos shells, bamboo mats, bamboo baskets, bamboo curtains and dustpans. They can not only compile finished products, but also crack raw materials such as bamboo into bamboo strips, bamboo chips and bamboo chips. These examples all show that the blind have the ability to do some knitting work.

Of course, the times have changed, and the social environment and social needs have also changed greatly. But I think, if you want to do it, you can still find the supply and demand points needed by today's society. For example, fruit baskets, bird cages, chicken and duck cages, bamboo mats, pillow mats, chair mats and bowl mats can all be woven. These products have market demand today and in the future. Of course, as to what kind of weaving or weaving project to engage in, whether it is bamboo weaving, wickerwork weaving, rattan weaving or straw weaving, it should be considered according to local resources and market supply and demand.

To expand the employment opportunities for the blind in rural areas, the key point is to pay attention to practical results and not to be greedy for perfection. Here are some relatively simple production projects. Let me give two examples: the development of modern war weapons has entered the stage of digitalization, electronic informationization and precise guidance, but the final solution to the battle depends on two-legged infantry. Modern society is developing by leaps and bounds, and high-tech products abound. However, if your teeth are blocked when you eat, you still have to rely on a small toothpick to solve the problem.

So, why not organize blind people in rural areas to make some small things that must be used in daily life, such as bamboo chopsticks, toothpicks and sweater needles?

Finally, I want to talk about the skills employment of the blind in rural areas. Many people like to eat bean sprouts. Bean sprouts have high nutritional value and good taste, and are also one of the best-selling vegetables in the market. So can we consider letting rural blind people develop bean sprout production industry through training? Compared with what I mentioned in knowledge-based employment, the operation of producing bean sprouts is much simpler and the cost is much lower. As long as the blind can buy good quality soybeans and mung beans, and master the temperature and humidity of bean sprouts through operation training and guidance, I believe they can get started soon and get better benefits. Personally, I think it is a good employment choice to produce bean sprouts for some blind people who are not suitable for knowledge-based jobs such as massage in rural areas or even cities. Not only is the operation skill easy to master, but also the production space is small, the input cost is low, the production cycle is short, and the effect is quick. Is it not worth a try?

To sum up, I think that for blind compatriots in rural areas with low education and living in poverty, they can't sit at home all day and be at the mercy of fate and poverty, but have the opportunity to grasp and explore. Everyone should cheer up and challenge life bravely. At the same time, we should calm down and think, objectively analyze our own situation, adjust measures to local conditions, establish confidence and courage to overcome difficulties, and finally determine a skilled employment path of our own and try bravely. Comrade Deng Xiaoping taught us in his speeches during his visit to Shenzhen and his southern tour that we should have the spirit of daring to think, to venture and to do, and not to be afraid of failure or setbacks. This is addressed to the whole Party and people, and also to our disabled compatriots.

Another very important key point, which is related to whether the skilled manual employment of the blind in rural areas can be implemented and whether they can really get rid of difficulties and poverty, is to strengthen the work and construction of grassroots disabled persons' federations, equip disabled workers who are enthusiastic about the cause of the disabled and are willing to do practical things, conduct specific organization, training and market research on blind employment projects, and do a series of auxiliary work such as raw material procurement and product sales. We believe that the success of anything depends on people. People who are enthusiastic about their careers, people who actively support them, people who have specific organizations, and people who are enthusiastic about doing things, why not worry about their careers?

(The writer is the chairman of Fujian Association for the Blind and the principal of Hedley School for the Blind in Fuzhou, USA).