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33 Postsecondary Education for Deaf People in China Patricia A. Mudgett-DeCaro and James J. DeCaro CH I N A I S a developing country with a large population, moving very quickly on many fronts to become a modern, international player in the global marketplace (Dahlman & Aubert, 2001). This growth has occurred within the context of a progressively more market-driven economy with a strong central government. In present-day China, education at all levels has assumed a central role as a tool for advancement and modernization. In the mid-1990s, science, technology, and education were put at the forefront of development policy and given a leading role in driving change (Dahlman & Aubert, 2001). Overriding all of this development is the challenge of simultaneously allocating limited resources on so many fronts in a rapidly changing society. Concurrent rapid growth and transition is taking place with respect to improvement in the lives of people who are disabled. This change is part of the country’s far-reaching goal of realizing an increasingly humane civilization. The desire and will to achieve such improvement is strong. The official Web site of Shanghai indicates that serving people with disabilities is an important undertaking because it is a “sign of a civilized and progressive society and an important part of a perfect social security system” (Shanghai Municipality WWW Site, 2002). Similarly, Fang (2001) suggests that the development of special education is a sign of social and economic strength and represents a civilized society. The country’s commitment to achieving these ends is evidenced by the fact that China is different from other developing countries in its very high literacy levels and the numbers of deaf people educated at the elementary level (Callaway, 1999). It is illustrative to review some statistics with respect to the education of deaf people as a way to demonstrate the progress being made. In the fall of 2004, there were approximately 20.57 million deaf or hard of hearing people in China. In 1988, less than 6% of deaf children were educated in primary school. By 2004, in less than two decades, more than 80% of deaf children were educated at the compulsory level, which comprises 9 years of education, roughly covering primary and junior middle school levels. Legislation with respect to education for disabled people is relatively recent in China. The first law establishing educational institutions for disabled people was passed in 1951; however , further progress was slow until after 1978, in large part a result of the Cultural Revolution . In 1982, the state officially accepted the responsibility for special education of disabled people, and in 1986, this responsibility was passed along to local governments (Liu, 1998). On March 15, 1988, the government established the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), largely because of the influence of Deng Pufang, the son of Deng Xiaoping. Deng Pufang is himself disabled and uses a wheelchair. The mission of CDPF “is to protect human rights of persons with disabilities so as to enable them to participate in society with equal status and opportunities and share the cultural and material achievements brought about by the socio-economic development” (China Disabled Persons’ Federation and the Work for Persons With Disabilities in China, March 1998, p. 2). The specifics of representation for any one disability group are dealt with on the local level. Thus, the CDPF is a federation of single-disability organizations, including the Chinese Association of the Deaf (CAD), established in 1956 as the only official organization for people who are deaf. CAD has local associations in all provinces and some large cities, and each is a member organization of the CDPF (“Eastern Red,” 1998). The CDPF organized and drafted the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons, which was codified on December 28, 1990—a significant turning point in the history of people with disabilities in China. The CDPF also promoted and participated in the formulation of the Regulations on the Education of Persons with Disabilities and the Regulations on the Labour and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (China Disabled Persons’ Federation and the Work for Persons with Disabilities in China, 1998). This set of laws and regulations represented an important step toward the goal of including people with disabilities in education and society. Individuals with disabilities are well represented within the structure of the CDPF. For example, more than half the membership of policymaking bodies and two thirds of advisory committee members must be disabled (Callaway...

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