2018年CRI Yang Jia: The visually impaired deserves equal access to cinemas

 

Professor Yang Jia is the only visually impaired¹ member of the CPPCC, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Now into her third term as an advisor² for the CPPCC, Professor Yang is pushing for the promotion³ of accessible films and accessible cinema for people with visual impairments.

Films are an integral part of our culture and society. They give us an opportunity to spend time with our friends and family. And they are an opportunity to share our emotions, whether that means laughing together, or crying together.

Yet there is a section of society that often misses out on much of what cinema has to offer.

The next time you're watching a movie, close your eyes for a moment and try to make sense of the story. Where there's dialogue it might not be too difficult.

But during parts of the film where there's no talking, just music or movement on screen, you might feel that you've missing out on part of the story.

This little experiment gives you some idea of what it's like for a visually impaired person trying to watch a movie.

Professor Yang Jia believes that people with disabilities should have equal access to films and cinemas as sighted people. A desire to make this a reality is the reason behind one of her proposals to the CPPCC, China's top government advisory⁴ body.

"We could have some sound track, additional sound track, for people with visually impairment if they are seated in some special zones with special devices. But if the soundtrack is not available, we can have the announcer to talk about it."

One of the ways that visually impaired viewers can better enjoy a film is through the use of a sound track where a narrator describes the action happening on the screen. Narrator-described movies are an important technique to help people with visually impairment enjoy cinema alongside sighted people.

Making more films accessible in this way is an important step towards making cinemas more inclusive.

"It's very important because it's part of cultural life. We can get a good glimpse of society. We can laugh and cry with the rest of the movie goers."

Yang Jia was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 29, which led to her losing her sight. But that didn't stop her from graduating with a Master of Public Administration from the world-leading Harvard Kennedy School. She works as a professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. And as a member of the CPPCC, she has submitted more than 60 proposals during her past two terms, many of which have gained traction⁵.

She believes losing her sight has allowed her to see the world in many different ways. 

"People with visual impairment can take the national entrance exam just as the sighted people. That was one of my proposals. I have a sense of accomplishment⁶."

Yang's proposals this year also include advocating legislation for people with rare diseases, standardizing⁷ garbage collection, and cracking down on illegal financial services that target senior and rural citizens.

Yang is also an executive member of the All-China Women's Federation⁸. She will continue in her efforts to promote gender⁹ equality and the protection of women's rights. 

"We are China's soft power, and we are also women warriors¹⁰. My mentor¹¹, Professor Li Pei, happen to be China's only women participant in the world's first women's assembly in Paris in 1945. As her student, I'm horned to follow her steps."

Now into her third term on the CPPCC, Yang believes she's becoming more optimistic about her role, and her voice has grown louder in its calls to make society more inclusive.

"I made my voice heard in many different ways, and it really made a difference. Through the years, I see clearly where I'm going, and where China is heading for."

1 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

3 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

4 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

5 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

6 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

7 standardizing   

使合乎规格，使标准化( standardize的现在分词 )； 规格化

参考例句：

• These composite indices are derived by standardizing each of its component series. 这些综合指数是使通过把它们的组成部分中的各个数列标准化而获得的。
• Significant progress was made in rectifying and standardizing nonbank financial institutions. 整顿和规范非银行金融机构取得重要进展。

8 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

9 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

10 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

11 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。