What they say

Editor’s note: People with disabilities and one who runs an incubator park to help the disabled shared their opinions on the fight against poverty at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

The disabled are just like their ablebodied counterparts. They can support their families and create miracles. But if they just give up on themselves, a better life is out of the question.

Li Jian, 48, amputee and Party chief of Fulou village in Tongbai county, Henan province

With the help of government, I learned massage techniques and had my own massage parlor. I used to have self-contempt because men of my age can all go out and make a living, but I cannot do anything. But now I am confident that I am helping support my family and can let my daughter and wife live a better life.

Xie Lyu, 28, a visually impaired masseur from Tengchong, Yunnan province

Give

a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. If we want to let disabled people live a better life, we must change their mindset. I think government policy and capital input can motivate them to fight poverty themselves and let them stand on their own feet. And afterward, government can also tap into their wisdom and help them innovate.

Jia Ru, 43, director of a startup incubator park for disabled people in Xingtang county, Hebei province

Cadres from my village as well as those from Luobei county often came to my house and gave me instructions about how to raise cows and grow cassia seeds. I have injuries on my right hand, so I have to use my left hand to trim the cassia seed trees, which is not easy. But gradually I got used to it and later I shook off poverty. I am truly thankful for those who lent their helping hands.

Liu Hongxia, 34, a farmer from Luobei county, Heilongjiang province