HEALTH - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 239

Deafness and blindness seem to be two of the few conditions that get any kind of public
attention or degree of acceptance. The Chinese deaf are often seen around town, signing to
each other on subways or along the streets, and if you can read Chinese you'll be happy to
know that it's basically standard for everything on TV to be subtitled. For the blind, side-
walks are uniformly paved with tactiles, the knobby tiles that are meant to aid navigation
by touch. Sadly, these also uniformly end at power poles, newspaper stands, large holes,
parked cars, and any other obstacle you can think of. There are no guide dogs, but you will
occasionally see people with canes. From a career perspective, even for the deaf or blind
work opportunities are limited, and the most common place that you'll encounter a person
with a visual impairment is in one of the many blind massage centers around town.
Despite this, it's not all bleak, and there are ongoing efforts to make improvements. Prior
to 1980 people with disabilities were derogatorily referred to as cánfèi , meaning disabled
and waste, but today that's no longer used and cánjírén (disabled person) is standard. The
reality remains, however, that life in Beijing for a foreigner with a disability comes with
weighty challenges that you'll need to be ready for, and if you're a parent or care giver, you
will need to be a strong advocate for your loved one. It's highly advisable that you make
a fact-finding trip here before you commit to a life in Beijing, making sure to talk person-
ally to expats who have lived here and who are perhaps in a similar situation. For extra in-
formation, you can contact Disability China, Handicap International, or the China Disabled
Persons' Federation. There are also two illustrative posts by wheelchair travelers Rosemary
Ciotti and Madeleine Wilken found in the Travel Archives at www.globalaccessnews.com .
The dates may seem a little old, but the experiences the writers describe are still valid today
and transferrable from the tourist sites of Beijing to the places of everyday life.
Safety
CRIME
When it comes to crime, Beijing is, for the most part, a fairly safe city. There is a constant
presence of police almost everywhere you go, which reminds all of the government's
watchful eye. Violent crimes against foreigners are infrequent, but they do occur and, over
recent years, with somewhat more regularity. Petty crimes, on the other hand, such as bi-
cycle theft or pickpocketing, are common. Scams are also extremely prolific. These may
include sorrowful emails asking for financial assistance; pedestrians faking being hit by a
cyclist or car and immediately demanding a huge payout; gas station attendants underfilling