At 5,Zhang Haidi found she had a spinal tumor and,due to three operations to remove it,she was left paralysed (瘫痪) from her chest down.However,with a strong will,she has extended the meaning of her life in many possible ways,and achieved much more than one might think is possible.
Not being able to go to school,Zhang taught herself to read and write.At 15,Zhang moved to a small village with her parents in 1970.There was no hospital and the villagers had to walk more than 10 km to see a doctor.She decided to make a change.She read medical books and practiced acupuncture (针灸) on herself.Soon she acquired enough medical knowledge to help villagers with basic treatments.During her years there,she treated more than 10,000 people for free.
Zhang also taught herself several foreign languages,including English,Japanese,German and Esperanto.To learn a new English word,she had to repeat it as many as 200 times.To expand her vocabulary,she wrote words on desks,mirrors and even lamps so she could recite them anytime anywhere.She later translated several works of Western literature into Chinese.She also wrote a double-language book called Beautiful English to tell about her experience learning English.
She has encouraged so many young people and was awarded the title of "Excellent Member of the Communist Youth League of China" in 1983.In 2018,she was elected president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.She has been using her position and influence to call for more rights for people with disabilities.Before and during the Beijing 2022 Paralympics,Zhang worked as executive president of the organizing committee to promote a barrier-free environment.For example,tactile (触觉的) systems for the blind,lowered service counters for wheelchair users and greater access to buildings."These practices can set a good example for China in the future," Zhang said.
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