Nineteen blind doctors of traditional Chinese-style medical massage graduated from a three-month computer course Tuesday in Beijing.
The course taught them the basics of computers.
The blind masseurs can now hear what is on the screen with the help of a Chinese software program that talks.
This enables the doctors to surf the Internet, send emails, and to read and write medical documents on the computer.
According to Xu Huilan, the teacher of the course, the doctors studied typing, Windows, and data inputting.
It is hoped that the software will help make communication easier for the blind members of staff at the hospital.
Guo Changli, a 34-year-old masseur at the hospital said: " I used to dictate my letters and have people write them for me.
"Now I can do all this with a computer, it is a real dream come true." The hospital, which opened in 1958, is located in the Xicheng District of Beijing, it is not only a hospital but also a training centre for blind massage doctors.
(China Daily January 30, 2002)
