Blind professor Yang Jia(R) touches the model of "Bird's Nest", the National Stadium, at a special model exhibition for blind people in Beijing on August 27, 2008. [Photo courtesy of Yang Jia]

The Beijing Paralympic Games begin tomorrow night. From today until September 18th, China Drive will have an old friend, Yang Jia, to talk about these Games and the life of disabled people in China. As a member of the "National Political Consultative Committee" she shared her journal with us during the time of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

This time, as the capacity of the Vice-president of the "China Association of the Blind" and a Paralympic volunteer training expert, she will share her Beijing Paralympic experiences. Since Yang Jia herself is visually impaired, and heavily involved with these Games, she is acutely aware of the issues that face many disabled athletes, and well placed to give insightful commentary.

Today, Yang Jia would like to tell us about a special model exhibition for blind people held recently in Beijing. She says the exhibition provides an innovative link between the Olympics and Paralympics.