imported>Conan at 03:04, 3 March 2010

2010-03-03T03:04:56Z

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Despite being confined to a wheelchair since the age of five after contracting polio, '''Zhang Haidi''' ([[Chinese]]:张海迪) has built a successful career as a writer and translator. Within China, she is well-known as a campaigner for the rights of disabled people.

Born in [[1955]], Zhang became a paraplegic at the age of five. She now works for the [[Shandong]] Writers' Association as a writer and a translator.

Zhang contracted polio as a child and following four operations to remove tumors from her spine, was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Zhang was unable to attend school but educated herself to university level. She learnt several foreign languages including English, Japanese, German and Esperanto. In [[1993]], she was awarded a master's degree in Philosophy by [[Jilin University]].

Zhang has published a dual-language book called Beautiful English and has translated several works of western literature. She works together with her husband who is not disabled. Zhang believes the disabled should not lower their sights in the search for love.

"Don't sell yourself short, and try your best to build a happy family life," is her advice to other disabled people.

Zhang profoundly understands the suffering of China's disabled people. She uses her position on the National Committee of [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] to call for the improvement of disabled access to buildings and campaigns on the right of disabled people to drive.

[[Category:people]]

Zhang Haidi - Revision history

imported>Conan at 03:04, 3 March 2010