Five people with disabilities took the podium at a government news conference in Beijing on Friday to encourage their peers to contribute fully to the nation's modernization drive. The speakers shared personal stories of overcoming barriers in transport, tourism, employment and the arts.

The group included a deaf dancer who spoke through a sign language interpreter, a ride-hailing executive who walked onstage with his guide dog, and an embroidery artisan dressed in traditional clothing.

The event, organized by the State Council Information Office, aims to highlight both the challenges and achievements of people living with disabilities. National Disability Day is observed annually on the third Sunday of May to raise public awareness of the rights and needs of people with disabilities.

Chen Jing, a deaf dancer at the China Disabled Persons' Art Troupe, rose to fame after performing a sign-language chorus on the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, the widely watched chunwan show.

Recalling the loneliness of her childhood — when her family laughed at comedy sketches she could not understand — Chen said she was proud to have directed accessible broadcasts of the 2025 performance, enabling 26 hearing-impaired actors to sign the entire show.

"Accessible broadcasts of the arts make cultural confidence more complete," she said.

Wang Zhihua took the stage with his guide dog Aiju to discuss his ride-hailing platform's accessible travel project. Based on feedback from visually impaired users, the service has facilitated over 3.6 million barrier-free trips and introduced a priority dispatch for blind passengers during bad weather, using a data-sharing channel for identity verification.

"Tech-enabled assistance is about solving real pain points," Wang said.

"Only when developers and disabled users meet each other halfway can we achieve equality and shared access."

Yang Yu, founder of an accessible travel agency, recalled joining a disabled travelers' tour group in 2014, when most mainstream operators, citing what they described as safety concerns, refused disabled customers. He founded his own company in 2016, which has since served thousands of disabled travelers.

"As more disabled visitors come to my hometown of Zhangjiajie and post on social media, I believe wheelchair tracks and footprints alike are all imprints of Chinese-style modernization," he said.

Liu Min, a staff member at Sichuan province's disabled persons' federation, lost her right leg in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake at age 16. Rescued from the rubble, she earned a master's degree from Nanjing University and joined the federation to promote social inclusion.

"Equal employment requires society to recognize disabled people's needs, create barrier-free environments and offer opportunities," she said. "But more importantly, it requires disabled people to accept themselves and stand on their own feet."

Lu Yongjiang, a former teacher with a disability in her right hand, runs a traditional Dong embroidery workshop in Guizhou province. After documenting local sewing traditions, she became a master of the craft.

In 2015, she set up seven bases where disabled people learn embroidery and sell products via livestreaming.

"One person's strength is not enough," she said.

"On the Chinese path to modernization, we are advancing in our own way — and our embroidery will only grow more beautiful."