Mei Ting’s newest role is participating in a campaign for children with disabilities. (Photo : Getty Images)
Award-winning actress Mei Ting has taken on many notable roles throughout her career. From being a battered wife in 2001 TV drama “Don’t Talk to Strangers” to acting as a masseuse in the film “Blind Massage,” in which she won awards.
This year, Mei takes on a new off-screen role as an advocate of children’s public health. On Dec. 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, she participated in Joy Wave, a project by China Children and Teenager’s Fund.
As part of Joy Wave, Mei appeared at the Beijing Record Factory to record poems with children who have hearing problems. She said she used to have short patience but when she had her own children, her life changed.
"Motherhood has changed me. I now want to speak for underprivileged children. I feel connected with parents who share anxiety about their children's health with me," says Mei who has a 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.
Her roles also help her relate to people with disabilities. "I am not ambitious. But the roles that attract me always offer me new insights into my work," she says.
The film Blind Massage also gave Mei a closer view of the hardships that people with disabilities face. "We spent months living with them and they were funny, smart, and positive although they couldn't see," says Mei of the film's shooting in 2012.
Mei is the first celebrity to join the project, but more are expected to record their voices for it, according to Zhu Xisheng, secretary-general of China Children and Teenager's Fund.
Zhu explained that there are currently more than 130,000 children with hearing impairments under the age of 6 and every year the loss of hearing is reported in more than 20,000 infants.
With the help of celebrities like Mei, it will be easier for Zhu and his non-profit organization to raise awareness about children with disabilities.
