Chinanews.com, Yantai, May 16th, title: National Day for the Disabled: Visit to the earliest school in China that opened higher education for the disabled
Author Yang Bing Wang Jiaoni
In 1985, Binzhou Medical College established the Department of Clinical Medicine to recruit college students with disabilities, setting a precedent for higher education for people with disabilities in China.
Over the past 30 years, more than 1,300 disabled college students have completed their studies here, entered the society, and started a new life journey.
May 16 is the 31st National Day for the Disabled. During this period, reporters came to this school to learn about the developing higher education for the disabled in China.
At the School of Special Education, Feng Hao, a visually impaired student who was a freshman majoring in Chinese Medicine, introduced his university life to reporters.
In the multimedia classroom, Feng Hao can make use of the voice assistance function to use the computer proficiently, and read through Braille handouts and books.
“The barrier-free facilities of the school are very considerate, which provides great convenience for our study and life.” In the tidy dormitory, Feng Hao also talked enthusiastically about his extracurricular life. He likes sports and pays particular attention to ball games. Although invisible, the spirit and atmosphere of the sports game fascinated him.
Taking into account the employment needs of college students with disabilities, the school recruits visually impaired and hearing impaired students in Chinese medicine, applied psychology, and dental technology.
Photo by Wang Jiaoni
Speaking of career planning, Feng Hao is very confident, “Excellent seniors have given me motivation. On the one hand, I plan to take the examination for practicing physicians and the qualification examination for teachers, and become a doctor or teacher in the future. On the other hand, I also pay attention to emerging Career, audio book anchor or self-employment are all good choices."
Freshman visually impaired student Huang Yan told reporters that she hopes to find a suitable job after graduation through professional studies. Taking into account the employment needs of disabled college students, the school recruits viewers in Chinese medicine, applied psychology, dental technology and other majors. Students who are impaired and hearing impaired have opened up employment ideas.
Talent training concept, discipline layout, talent training system, management system and mechanism, support and safeguard measures-Cao Tongtao, dean of the school's special education school, believes that doing these five things well is the basis for a good higher education for the disabled.
Facilities such as barrier-free digital campuses, smart classrooms for hearing and visually impaired students, and barrier-free libraries are becoming more and more perfect.
Photo by Wang Jiaoni
It is reported that more than 30 years ago, under the guidance of the concept of education fairness, the school implemented classified training of college students with disabilities, carried out reforms and explorations from all aspects of talent training, and gradually formed a comprehensive "medicine, education, and health" organic integration of college disabled persons. Talent training system.
In terms of barrier-free education facilities, suitable barrier-free facilities have been tailored for disabled college students, such as a dedicated laundry room, a gym, and a bathroom where you can sit and lie down and take a bath.
In recent years, the National Special Education Demonstration Park Project has been launched in the school, and facilities such as barrier-free digital campuses, smart classrooms for hearing and visually impaired students, barrier-free libraries, and barrier-free media studios have become more and more complete.
"For disabled college students, physical and psychological rehabilitation is the basis for learning." Cao Tongtao said that the school has formed a practice of "integrating the disabled and the health, combining education and health" in practice.
Disabled and healthy integration means that students with disabilities can study and live together with healthy students while being relatively concentrated in education and management.
The combination of education and health is to combine the education process with the rehabilitation process of the disabled, and use medicine, psychology, and pedagogy to promote comprehensive physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation.
In terms of learning and employment, Cao Tongtao introduced that the school's medical, science, engineering, management, teaching and other disciplines are gradually realizing the full coverage of the enrollment of disabled students.
Visually impaired students will be recruited to study Chinese medicine in 2012, and hearing impaired students will be recruited to study stomatology technology.
"Take hearing impaired students as an example. In the past, hearing impaired students were mainly confined to art and computer majors. In recent years, the dental medicine technology-related majors offered by the school have good employment prospects and high student recognition."
It is reported that after graduating from Binzhou Medical College, many disabled college students have become backbones in the medical and scientific research fields, and more than 350 of them have been admitted to graduate school.
Liu Yang is a microcosm of the university's growth in the disabled.
After Liu Yang was born, he was diagnosed with meningocele by the hospital and developed spinal deformity at the age of 12.
After being admitted to Binzhou Medical College, due to his serious illness, he received several critical illness notices.
With the help of the school and alumni, a hospital in Beijing tailored a very challenging spinal internal fixation surgery for Liu Yang.
More than 1,300 disabled college students have completed their studies in Binzhou Medical College, entered the society, and started a new life journey.
Photo by Wang Jiaoni
After returning to school after the operation, Liu Yang initiated the establishment of the "Chengguang Xinhui" charity society in Yantai City, where the school is located, and established the nation's first college organ donation volunteer publicity service team.
He also established the "Kanglexi" comprehensive rehabilitation team for the disabled. From 2019 to 2020, a total of more than 70,000 local adolescents have been screened for scoliosis.
"My wish is that one day, disability is only a characteristic of us as human beings, not a defect." This is Liu Yang's wish, and it is also the motivation for the disabled college students to study hard and actively recover.
It is reported that the theme of this year's National Day for the Disabled is "Consolidate the achievements of disabled persons from poverty and improve the quality of life of disabled persons." China’s education for persons with disabilities has gone through an extraordinary journey and is gradually entering the track of high-quality development. The enrollment rate of disabled students has been continuously increased, the level of teachers has been greatly improved, and the support and security system has been gradually improved. Quality plays a huge role. (Finish)