disability

The Poet Changing China’s View of Disability — Through Dance

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Yu Xiuhua became a sensation with her raunchy poetry that redefined Chinese perceptions of disability. Now, she’s taking her art a step further.

Jiang Xinyi

Dark Humor: Comedian Shines Light on a Rare Disease

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Gao Xiang, a rising standup comedy star in Shanghai, has won acclaim for sharing his struggles living with severely impaired vision.

Shanghai Observer

Signs of Unity: Can China’s Deaf Community Find a Common Language?

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

While many deaf people in China want a standard sign language, there has also been resistance.

Li Xin

Luo Yahan

Throwing Shapes: The Rave Experience for Deaf Clubbers

BassBath is a clubbing experience in Shanghai designed to be deaf-friendly while promoting knowledge of sign language.

Ding  Jiayue

Can China Promote More Accessible Public Spaces?

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

A handful of entrepreneurs are opening clubs and founding workshops designed around inclusivity for disabled Chinese.

Cao Shuyun

China’s Paralympians Storm to Top of Medal Table in Paris

Team China has run up a huge lead during the opening days of the 2024 Paralympics after a string of record-breaking performances.

He Qitong

Learning to Walk — In an Exoskeleton

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Lü Xiao

Liu Zhuo’er

China Makes More Films Accessible for Blind People

Several of this year’s summer blockbusters include audio description for blind and visually impaired cinemagoers, as China’s film industry begins to embrace accessibility.

Li Miaoran

The Disabled Student Entrepreneur Swapping Toys for Tech

A student with brittle bone disease has launched a startup in eastern China to develop a smart exoskeleton that will allow him and others to walk.

Ding Rui

The Artist Monkeying Around With China’s Monkey King

Wu Huiyuan 

The Backbend: Why a Basic Dance Move Is Paralyzing Children in China

Commonly taught in dance studios, the backbend has been linked to a surge in severe spinal injuries among young girls across the country. This alarming trend has prompted widespread calls for better regulatory frameworks and more professional training methods.

How China’s People With Disabilities Are Confronting the Future of Work

Can a social enterprise dedicated to employing people with disabilities point the way to a better future for all workers?

Cai Yiwen

How Visually Impaired Engineers Are Guiding China’s Accessibility Efforts

A team of partially sighted software programmers in Shenzhen is improving information accessibility by helping developers eliminate the many obstacles facing disabled users.

At China Expo, a Next-Gen Prosthetic Knee Offers New Hope

Equipped with a microprocessor, a motor, and multiple sensors, Össur’s Power Knee adapts to users’ movements in real time. But its price will remain a hurdle for many.

Sixth Tone

As Live Music Booms in China, Disabled Fans Call for More Inclusion

The return of large-scale pop concerts has sparked huge excitement in China over recent months. But fans with disabilities still face serious barriers to accessing the events — and they’re calling for change.

Xu Cen

Ni Dandan

The Father-Son Duo Winning Over China’s Marathon Scene

Inspired by marathoner Dick Hoyt, who ran together with his disabled son, a Chinese courier and his son have taken the running world by storm.

The Paper

World Book Day: A Bookstore for the Blind

Backlight 226 has become the go-to spot for visually impaired reading enthusiasts in Shanghai.

Yang Caini

Shanghai Eases Driving License Process for Deaf Drivers 

The city opened its first driving school and a designated physical exam center for the hearing impaired wanting to obtain a permit.

Online Influencer With Disability Hits Back at Trolls

Attacks against the earthquake survivor come amid a growing spate of online violence.

Ye Zhanhang

China’s First Deaf Lawyer Beat The Odds. Now, She’s Giving Back.

There still isn’t a system in place for Tan Ting to argue in court so she works on spreading legal awareness among the deaf. In China, that’s equally important.