Spotlight on hearing-impaired as new deputy uses sign language

Dressed in a purple gown, she moves her hands and fingers in a manner that almost mesmerizes. But all she is doing is using sign language to say - "I will study hard, work hard and live a full life."

The deputy who started her speech at the National People's Congress meeting in Beijing on March 6 with sign language is Shi Huifen, a special education teacher at a county-level school in Wuchuan, in Guizhou.

Speaking about her background, Shi, who can easily pass by as someone at least five years younger than her age, says: "I come from an unusual family that gave more priority to girls' education."