Tech guru turns spotlight on accessibility

The company also employs visually impaired customer service agents in phone support. Cao regards the levels of concentration and the ability to express themselves that blind employees possess as a distinct advantage.

Nevertheless, a story from GQ Report, a WeChat public account run by GQ China, says the salary for these positions consist of a basic monthly wage of around 3,000 yuan before sales commissions.

Cao confirms that sighted employees generally earn more, and the difference in their basic salaries derive from the divergence between the job market of sighted people and the disabled.

But he remains doubtful whether there is any difference in their ability to sell products.

Furthermore, the report illustrates a diverse range of attitudes toward being a customer service agent at Cao's company.

Xiao Wen (a pseudonym), a well-educated visually impaired woman, is not satisfied with her salary and complains that her job is repetitive and unchallenging, while Zheng Ting, a worker from rural Hubei province who has to commute 4 hours every day, regards her job as well-paid.

"I have finally moved on from massage, which I have been doing for 10 years," Zheng says.

In Cao's opinion, blind people can manage both routine jobs such as that of a salesperson or customer service agent, as well as emerging jobs, like a webcast anchor or a new media copywriter or editor.

"I would encourage visually impaired people to start their own businesses, but remind them that they have to work out a business plan in a formalized, systematic way," he says.

As the deputy-director of the Beijing Association of the Blind, Cao calls for better educational opportunities and a more inclusive environment for the disabled.

Speaking of his ultimate goal, Cao says: "We just want equal opportunities and a better chance to integrate into society."