JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CREATION OF “IN THE MIND'S EYE”:

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN CHINA

1. Visual Impairment in China
2. Broadcasting for Disabled People
3. Changes in Chinese Broadcasting
4. Growth of Civil Society Organisations and NGOs
5. Developing a Broadcasting Model
6. Providing Essential Information
7. Broadcasting for and by the Visually Impaired
8. Sustainability

1. Visual Impairment in China

According to figures released by the China Disabled Person's Federation (CDPF),
there are approximately 60 million disabled people in China, at least 8.7 million of whom are blind or visually impaired (VI).
However, no accurate figures exist for the number of people actually affected by sight-loss, and some sources have put the figure as high as 15.9 million (Zhuoying Qiu, China Rehabilitation Research Centre). Even the lowest estimates indicate that China 's VI population is the largest of any country, representing about 18% of all VI people in the world.
The rapid rise in the proportion of China 's elderly population suggests that age-related visual impairment will be a growing problem in future. Furthermore, the widening socio-economic gap in China means that sight-loss is often associated with poverty, social exclusion and poor conditions in rural areas.

The main issues faced by the visually impaired in China can be defined as:

•  Poverty

•  Lack of free health care

•  Limited educational and employment opportunities

•  Social prejudice

•  Limited legal protection for the disabled

•  Lack of civil society advocacy

•  A chronic lack of public information

2. Broadcasting for Disabled People

For most visually impaired people in China , as elsewhere, radio plays an important role as a source of information and entertainment. Radio and TV penetration for China 's national broadcasting networks is almost 100%, reaching most urban and rural communities and netting some of the largest audiences in the world (over 150 million for the national TV news on CCTV 1). Some programmes aimed at the disabled already exist, both at national and provincial level, yet they remain largely propagandistic in style and content, concentrating on “positive models” of successful disabled people and avoiding problems which might show the government or society in a bad light. Examples of this are China People's Radio's Ziqiang zhi Sheng (Self-strengthening Voice) and the Educational TV Channel's Shengming zai Xian (Life on Line).

Until the appearance of “In the Mind's Eye” on Beijing People's Radio in 2004, no broadcasts existed that were specifically designed to provide practical information or support to disabled people, reflecting either their daily needs or their wider concerns. Rural blind people, in particular, often exist in a social vacuum, with very little access to information which might inform and improve their lives, and little opportunity to communicate with other people in the same situation.

3. Changes in Chinese Broadcasting

While the Chinese media is still highly regulated by the government, popular demand and market forces have converged to create a far more commercial, comprehensive and flexible system of broadcasting throughout China. Since 1995, the number of TV stations has mushroomed both at national and local level, reaching roughly 1,000 in 2001. WTO entry in 2002 demanded that China bring its media in line with international practice, including the opening up of its TV networks to independent production and foreign competition. Radio has developed rather more slowly, though it has maintained mass audiences within certain social groups, including urban drivers, music fans, the elderly, poorer rural communities and people who are blind or have a visual impairment. Recent changes in radio broadcasting reflect earlier reforms in TV broadcasting. These can be summarised as:

•  Greater awareness of audience demand and ratings

•  Growing commercial funding for programme-making through the sale of advertising time

•  Audience participation through phone-ins and hotlines

•  Targeting of particular audiences and interest groups

•  Partial separation of production and transmission through commissioning from outside contractors or the provision or sale of air-time to specific bodies

4. Growth of Civil Society Organisations and NGOs

Whilst Chinese political institutions remain firmly under the control of the Communist Party, a degree of pluralism has developed over the last 20 years through the rapid application of market-based reform, a dwindling of Communist institutions of social control, greater access to information through the media and the internet and a growing awareness of human rights. In recent years civil society organisations of various kinds have been making their mark. Some of these, such as the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), the All-China Women's Federation and the Soong Ching Ling Foundation are semi-official organisations, partially funded by overseas donors, but directly under the control of the Chinese government.

However, since the mid-1990s, hundreds of non-governmental, vernacular bodies have appeared, many of which act increasingly like true NGOs. In the field of disability, the CDPF and the Chinese government have now acknowledged the need for Chinese and foreign NGOs to assist in the provision of support and services for disabled people. Organisations of and for the disabled are starting to take a leading role in advocacy, networking, self-help and the assertion of legal rights. However, as yet no organisation has effectively tapped the mass media for the provision of practical information to the disabled.

5. Developing a Broadcasting Model

Most broadcasting in China is still determined by political or economic criteria and minority groups are rarely included in the production process. Visual impairment is a widespread condition which cuts across social, ethnic and gender boundaries. Unlike ethnic or other minority concerns, the problems relating to visual impairment are widely acknowledged and are often only political in the broadest sense. To this extent disability is considered a relatively “safe” area politically in China , though its implications reach to the heart of China's dilemmas. Producing programmes for and by the visually impaired would set an important precedent for responsive broadcasting and provide a vital model for the channelingof other minority interests.

6. Providing Essential Information

Access to information, especially for the visually impaired in rural communities, is extremely limited. Even for those lucky enough to learn Braille or, for the partially-sighted, to obtain optical reading aids, very little practical information is available either in Braille or in print. The Chinese government acknowledges its statutory obligations to provide universal schooling, legal protection and freedom from discrimination for all China's citizens, yet few disabled people are themselves aware of their rights, and local authorities regularly flaunt national laws. Visually impaired people benefit greatly from information about solving daily living problems, mobility, educational opportunities and legal rights. Moreover, the views and experiences of other disabled people, as well as information about disability in other countries, inform and entertain both the visually impaired and the broader listening community.

7. Broadcasting for and by the Visually Impaired

At present, employment opportunities for the disabled are extremely limited in China . This problem is even more a acute for people with a visual impairment. The small proportion of blind people who enter the employment market (well under 20% of the total) are nowadays generally channeledinto therapeutic massage, which is largely promoted as the only “practical” choice for the blind. This kind of stereotyping means that few visually impaired people escape the socio-economic limitations associated with their disability and few can make a real impact within the wider community. The setting up of a radio production base for and by visually impaired people will challenge this stereotyping, creating new employment opportunities and demonstrating the virtues of an inclusive approach.

8. Sustainability

The rapid development of China 's market economy means that most programme-making must have a commercial base to survive. By the same token, industries must be responsive to new markets created by consumer demand. Furthermore, many successful enterprises have become increasingly aware of the need to support “good causes” for the sake of image-building.

Even though the visually impaired community has limited economic power, the growing number of elderly people facing sight-loss means that the potential market for optical aids, audio and Braille reading materials, and practical living devices etc. is considerable. It is essential that sustainability should be built into a model of this kind, through linkage with industry and corporate responsibility.