China, Russia cooperate to improve livelihoods of the visually impaired

An online seminar on education and employment for people with visual disabilities was held on Aug 10, with participants in Beijing, Moscow and other cities.

Delegates from China and Russia shared their experiences in education, employment, cultural life and capacity building for the blind, and exchanged ideas on strengthening cooperation in these fields in the future.

Jia Yong, the vice-chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), said in his speech that China and Russia have carried out various activities to improve the livelihoods of disabled individuals in recent years and that this cooperation has strengthened the relationship of the two countries. The exchanges will help people with visual disabilities to better participate in society, he said.

Russian chairman of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development (CRFCPD) said that China's success in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic has provided the world with valuable experience – something that Russia greatly appreciates. He added that the Russian Federation is willing to work with China to improve the well-being of the visually impaired.

Representatives from the UNESCO Office in China and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation between China and Russia to promote education and employment for the blind and advance the causes of disabled people around the world.