Orange backpacks are not enough

THE "ORANGE BACKPACK" FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN, launched by the Audiology Development Foundation of China last year to help teenagers with hearing impairments, has picked up speed recently with the endorsement of online opinion leaders and showbiz celebrities. The project is designed to provide distinctive orange backpacks to students suffering from impaired hearing, so they can be offered assistance if needed. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Thursday:

The campaign, given further support, could better protect and assist kids with hearing impairments. But wearing orange backpacks, some argue, might make the children look unnecessarily "different" or "weak", and risk exposing them to greater dangers, from school bullying to human trafficking.

And it is understandable that some kids prefer to live a normal life without being marked out as "hearing impaired". In truth, it should be up to the students to decide whether they want to use the orange backpacks. Even if some choose to carry such backpacks, they must be watched closely in case criminals or school bullies are tempted to prey on them.