"Dear Friends of TIWC:

My name is Chieh-Chow Lan and I am blind man. When I was 16, I suffered a disease in my retina and completely lost eyesight in both eyes. Fortunately, I received encouragement and help from my friends and family and have been able to walk out from the shadow of acquired blindness, graduate from collage, and get a satisfactory employment.

In 1993, I enrolled at the Chung-Hsing University Department of Sociology, Social Work Section, and Graduated in 1997. In 1996, I participated in the first Special Examination for handicapped, and successfully passed as a Chinese computer typist for General Administration.

In 1997, I got a job in Examination Yuan as a conference record clerk and become the first blind person to become a government employee. In December 1997, I passed the Official Specialty Examination, the test made with Braille but no handicap, with the highest honor. In September this year, I was selected as one of the ten in "36th Taiwan Ten Outstanding Youths" event. In order to make good use of what I have studied, I decided to leave the job in the Examination Yuan and become a 'promoter' in the Service Center for Blinds in Labor Bureau of Taipei City Government. My Main duties are: to offer consultation services for employment, case analysis, designing action projects and their implementation, etc.

There are many difficulties and challenges facing the handicapped persons like myself who have physical deficiencies, in the day-to day leaving, education and employment. Fortunately, I met many nice people who assisted me to finish my education and secured an ideal profession.

In 1996, when I was in junior class, I luckily received assistance from TIWC Lin Kun-Ti Fund to buy a computer for the blind, which was a great help for my study. I was able to search for information and data through Internet, keep notebook, and to write a report with the computer.

Now the computer is my indispensable companion, assisting me to gather necessary information required, and to write down projects and plans. I wish to express my highest respect and gratitude to TIWC members who show great compassion to those who need assistance from others, and help them to accomplish their lifetime goals and dreams.

Chieh-Chou Lan


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