Blind Chinese man’s fight for teaching job at school for visually impaired sparks social media debate
- Zheng Rongquan was rejected for a post at the Nanjing School for the Blind because his eyesight was considered inadequate for the role
- News of his challenge triggered an internet discussion over career opportunities for disabled people
A blind man is challenging his rejection for a teaching post at an east China school for the blind because of his visual impairment, sparking a social media debate about the types of jobs for which people with disabilities are qualified.
Zheng Rongquan, a recent Wenzhou University graduate born with impaired vision, had applied for a post at the Nanjing School for the Blind in Jiangsu province last year, China National Radio reported on Sunday.
He was told his vision was not at the required level for a pre-employment physical examination, and sought help from the China Disabled Persons' Federation, which negotiated with the school to get him a test and an interview.
When he took the test, he got top marks. But the school did not offer him the position and instead kept his case hanging, according to the report.
A staff member at the Nanjing school who asked not to be identified told the South China Morning Post: “We are in the process of dealing with this right now, and will release the results to the public once we have them.