200 visually impaired kids, senior citizens visit Expo

SHANGHAI - Two hundred visually impaired children and senior citizens visited the Shanghai World Expo Friday.

They included children from Shanghai Blind Children School and senior citizens who have received cataract operations in Shanghai.

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The program is part of a volunteer project to provide more care for disadvantaged groups including the disabled, children of migrant workers and those from relatively backward areas.

Zhu Hao, a 16-year-old from Shanghai Blind Children School, said, "I got to know about different cultures in various countries through listening and touching. In the Life and Sunshine Pavilion, I could type in Braille and then the things I needed could be printed out... There were artificial limbs there. Without touching them, I could not have imagined artificial limbs could be made that perfect."

Nine-year-old Tian Qingyi came from Wafangdian, northeastern China's Liaoning province. He received a cataract operation two years ago and his eyesight is still recovering.

"The biggest change is I can play with other children now. Before this, I could only stay at home and spend my time listening to cars outside and calculating how many had passed... I like the interactive games in the World Expo pavilions: you touch the computer screens and many things will show up," he said.

The group mainly visited the Pacific Pavilion, the South Africa Pavilion and the Life and Sunshine Pavilion -- the first one designed for the physically and mentally challenged in the World Expo's 159-year history.

The project was initiated by the Chinese Communist Youth League Shanghai Municipal Committee and sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank.