In 2003, the 27-year-old turned down an offer from IBM to fulfill her pledge of serving the disabled to let the computer giant share in her own success story.

"My elder sister suffered more serious brain paralysis than me. I am so proud that my work in the Sweet home could make her and many other disabled friends feel more happiness in life," she said.

Through her work, Gao makes investigations into problems and difficulties in the center's operation and education programs. She reports in a timely fashion to the municipal Disabled Persons' Federation, which attends to the 999,000 disabled population in Beijing.

Teacher Li said during the recent Olympic Games, many foreign dignitaries visited the center to show their support for the disabled.

President Hu Jintao visited the community service center on August 20 and used the occasion to call for better social services for the ordinary handicapped population.