A visually impaired girl, Dong Lina, who once won second prize in a national broadcasting contest, was twice rejected when she tried to register for a broadcasting self-study examination in Beijing due to a "physical problem". Dong may face the same fate if she takes a suggestion to apply for other majors, says an article in the Xi'an Evening News. Excerpts:

In fact, there is no such law or regulation stipulating that visually impaired people cannot apply for the broadcasting and news anchor major. Rather, according to the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, the handicapped are entitled to an education and national level tests should be open to them. Therefore, this case represents discrimination against Dong's legal rights because her application was rejected without reason.

More than sympathy alone is required to help this group's ability to survive and effectively eliminate discrimination against physically challenged people. The first step should be putting a priority on education. To win respect and eradicate social prejudice, it is essential to safeguard people's right to receive education, which would make it possible for physically challenged people to gain more professional knowledge and capabilities.

On one hand, this requires efforts from disabled people, but on the other hand, educational organizations should fully respect the will of physically challenged people and create conditions to support as well as encourage them to study and compete with ordinary people on a level playing field.

Dong's suffering, though an extreme case, has still exposed the lack of respect educational organizations have paid to the will and rights of physically challenged people and the collective deficiency of the social security function in the higher education system. Hopefully other disabled people who have a university dream like Dong's will never be rejected over a similar excuse.

(China Daily 10/13/2011 page9)