Making toys and rebuilding lives

Neighborhood strategy

Late last month, the team was preparing for a Children's Day event. Their plan was to print small toys and give them away to children and parents who scanned a QR code to join a WeChat group.

"It's about building a community," Shen said. "Once people are in our group, they'll know we exist. Maybe next time they need a custom-made gift, they'll think of us."

The strategy reflects a broader shift in Chinese cities: using training and technology to move people with disabilities from charity-dependent roles into market-driven employment.

"We don't want sympathy," Cao said. "We want equal opportunities. If a customer has a choice between us and an able-bodied competitor, we want them to choose us, not because they feel sorry for us, but because our quality is better."

For Cao, the immediate goal is modest: keep the printers running, find the next order and prove her team can survive on its own.

Small orders continue to trickle in, and Cao welcomes each one."The orders are small, but they haven't stopped," she said. "They're still coming. We're always working on something. I'm not afraid of small orders — I'm only afraid of having none at all."

lilei@chinadaily.com.cn