Special Needs Support
Nanjing puts great importance on equal access to reading and has set up cultural facilities to benefit special groups, including an "Accessible Library" and "Accessible Image Database".
Accessible Library and Accessible Image Database
The Nanjing Accessible Library and Accessible Image Database were established through cooperation between the Nanjing Normal University of Special Education and the Nanjing Disabled Persons' Federation. It is Nanjing's first municipal accessible library and alongside the launch of the Accessible Image Database represents a vital step toward inclusive citywide reading as the door is now open for further accessible image services to be developed in Nanjing.
"The Reader"
This charity program employs volunteer readers to record audio books for the visually- impaired. Over the past three years, nearly 10,000 volunteers from China and abroad have completed audio versions of Chinese and world literature works—totalling more than 300 hours play time—with open online access for the blind community. Thanks to these efforts, the more than 30,000 blind readers across all age groups throughout Jiangsu Province, as well as any reader able to go online, now have access to diverse literature materials for their enjoyment and learning.
Jinling Library's "Theatre for the Blind" is a charity project that seeks to improve the quality of special needs group members’ cultural life, with a particular focus on visually-impaired readers, and establish an equitable, non-profit platform for cultural exchange. It represents one of the nearly 200 spinoff events that have expanded the service’s scope into lectures, performances and movies.
Nanjing Normal University of Special Education
Nanjing Normal University of Special Education is the only independent tertiary institution in China focused on training special education teachers for schools nationwide. The university offers Chinese literature and arts majors.