Knitting teacher casts off gloom

"I couldn't accept that I would never be able to stand up again. I was enveloped by disappointment and never left the house all year round. I refused to apply for a disability certificate because I always hoped I would recover one day," she said.

"Years later, my gloomy mood disappeared after people from the city's disabled persons' federation consoled me. They told me that I should focus on what I had and ignore what I didn't have, and that a little sapling can grow into a big tree with just a little sunshine. I took those words to heart and began to raise chickens for a living," she said.

In 2007, Li married and had a son. Her husband worked odd jobs to support the family, and Li also looked for a stable source of income to lend a hand.

When the training center opened in 2018, the federation's staff members immediately pressed her to enroll.

"Despite my inability to walk and my fear of being laughed at, I decided to give it a try," Li said. "I have always been competitive, so I believed I could master the skills, despite a few difficulties."

She got up at 6 am every day, and after preparing breakfast and sending her son to school, she traveled to the center.

"Learning made me happy as I saw my skills improve. My teacher, who is disabled, was patient and considerate in the way she explained things and showed me how to knit. I admired her ingenuity, and wanted to be like her－someone who contributes something valuable to society," she said.

After a little more than a month, Li had mastered many knitting techniques and was able to teach them to other people.

Last year, she rented a room in Langzhong for herself and her son, who attends middle school in the city.

"I want my son to study at the city's school, so I need to fight for my family. Having a job teaching knitting makes me feel more secure than ever," she said.

According to the federation, more than 300 low-income disabled people from the city have learned how to knit at such bases, and they use their skills to make a living.

By knitting pendants, dolls and woolen shoes for babies, they have each seen their monthly incomes rise by more than 1,000 yuan, it added.