Current state of development and future prospects for blind massage operations in China
China
Speaker: Bao Yu Zhang
Title: Current state of development and future prospects for blind massage operations in China
On behalf of the China Federation and the nine million blind people of China, I would like to express my congratulations on the convocation of this massage seminar.
China is a developing country and is also one of the countries of the world that is focusing maximum effort on investments for business operations for disabled persons. In recent years, the Chinese government has complied with the spirit of the UN World Program of Action concerning Disabled Persons and regional conferences and has made gratifying achievements in the development of disabled operations, eradication of poverty, dissemination of education, expansion of employment and other areas.
Employment forms the foundation of the livelihood of the people. Massage is an occupation that is suitable for the blind and is also an important path for the employment of the blind. Based on the guidance and consideration of the Chinese government, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation formulated a series of appropriate policies and clarified the goals, duties and measures for blind massage practitioners in China. In addition, it has also asked the China Blind Massage Administration Center to provide guidance and supervision of blind massage operations throughout China. Through its constantly continuing efforts, blind massage operations in China are developing rapidly, are becoming systematized and have definable characteristics.
1. Appropriate systems beneficial to the development of blind massage operations
The China Blind Massage Administration Center is affiliated with the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and, developing further, it exists as the China Disabled Persons’ Federation Employment Service Administration Center. This single organization currently has two signboards and almost all provinces and cities nationwide have adopted this sort of configuration. As a result, the driving force of blind massage operations has become stronger and has further facilitated the development of operations. Thus far, all provinces with the exception of Tibet as well as 80% of the regions and cities have established Blind Massage Administration Centers under the administration of experts. Medical Massage Function Eligibility Committees and Committees on Health Massage Skill Certification have been established at 27 locations (autonomous regions, municipalities and ordinance-designated municipalities) while blind massage societies have been set up in twenty such locations.
2. Active training of blind massage practitioners
At the request of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation offices nationwide, disabled occupation training schools in their respective areas began training large numbers of blind massage practitioners in 2001 taking advantage of the functions of schools for the bind, blind massage schools, medical schools and other educational facilities. 50,000 health massage practitioners and 23,000 medical massage practitioners have been trained thus far. Massage has thus opened an important path to employment for blind people.
3．Smooth progress in the production of educational materials for blind massage practitioners
In order to improve the quality of advanced education for blind massage practitioners, the China Blind Massage Administration Center has gathered teaching professionals from medical universities throughout China and has prepared teaching materials for sixteen intermediate level courses, five advanced courses and six university level courses appropriate for blind massage studies. Blind massage teaching materials in China represent the outcome of research in vocational training for blind massage practitioners in China. These teaching materials will improve blind massage education in China and will also actively fulfill the function of stimulating the development of blind massage educational activities.
4. Blind health massage and medical massage
Massage is the prized gem of traditional Chinese medicine and is one of the natural therapeutic methods most esteemed by modern man. Since massage methods are simple, do not inflict injury or aftereffects to any great degree and product effects that are clearly evident, it has been developed and enhanced ceaselessly in China for several thousand years. The scope of application of blind medical massage covers more than one hundred illnesses ranging from injuries and illnesses suffered in the past to internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and pediatrics. The technology of each category of blind massage has also improved.
Though the statistics are not complete, practitioners of blind medical massage in China include some 5,800 massage doctors, about 1,600 attending massage doctors and about 200 senior and deputy massage doctors. They represent the main force of medical massage in China. The service menu of blind heath massage practitioners also increases day by day including pleasant health massage, pressure reduction health massage, beauty and beautiful body health massage, oil health massage and exercise health massage.
5. The Blind Massage Society provides blind massage practitioners with opportunities for exchanges in theory and technology
The Blind Massage Society currently has twenty branches at the provincial and municipal level in China and membership has reached the level of several thousand. The Blind Massage Society has hosted more than eighty academic exchanges at the municipal and provincial level. More than 4,000 people have participated in conferences, 1,000 have presented papers at the exchanges and massage techniques have been exchanged. The Education Branch of the Chinese Blind Massage Society has more than 300 members and it has thus far convened three national blind massage academic exchanges with conferences attended by 260 participants and academic papers presented by 68 participants while engaging the exchanges of technical skills and promoting other activities. Participants were solicited to attend WBU massage seminars held in Xian (China), Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong between 1999 and 2004. There were more than 500 participants and activities included the presentation of 120 papers and the introduction of technical skills by more than 100, all of which were highly commended by seminar representatives.
6. Development of regional blind massage operations
Related organizations in all areas provide support for the policies and expenses of blind massage operations, bringing about an expansion in blind health massage operations. In Beijing, for example, employers receive a subsidy of 2,000 yuan for each blind person that they hire. In Henan, Hebei and Qinhai Provinces, blind massage practitioners who open massage therapy clinics in a town or village are provided with facilities free of charge. Many regional commerce, taxation and public health-related administrative and management agencies show consideration in the form of reduced or exempted expenses for the preparation of related documents. As of the end of 2005, there were 1,637 blind health massage facilities nationwide, providing employment for more than 90,000 blind massage practitioners, thus demonstrating an employment rate in excess of 95%. In size, blind massage facilities range from a few to several thousand square meters, employing perhaps one or two to as many as several hundred per workplace. The monthly salary of blind massage practitioners averages more than 1,500 yuan with some even earning a salary of more than 10,000 yuan.
The prospects for blind massage business operations in the future are bright. We will continue to make efforts to formulate policies that ensure the further development of blind massage business.
(1) We will maintain and reinforce the development of laws and protect the rights of the disabled. We will deal with the various problems and issues that arise in the process of promoting blind massage operations and develop laws that promote development.
(2) We will manage the market for blind massage operations while also maintaining its soundness.
(3) We will make special efforts both policy-wise and economically to support blind people who live in remote areas or in a state of poverty. We will thereby provide further opportunities for the employment of more blind people.
(4) Though centered in skill training, we will also promote training activities in a form that links academic education and skill training.
(5) We will guarantee the long-term sound development of blind massage operations by reinforcing the reeducation of blind massage practitioners, improving quality overall, strengthening service consciousness and reinforcing competitive ability.
(6) We will promote international exchanges and stimulate the development of blind massage operations together with other countries.
