“The products of Song brocade are so beautiful, and I’m interested in them. I picked up the skills very quickly and now I earn money from making these products. I never thought I would even become a teacher,” said Xu Xiaofang, a physically disabled trainee at a daycare institution in Chenzhou City.

This is a microcosm of the Chenzhou Disabled Person’s Federation (CDPF) vigorously carrying out cultural and creative projects to assist disabled people in employment.

What kind of products can stimulate the vitality of the consumer market and fully match the production capacity of the disabled group?

In recent years, the China-Chic economy has gained numerous fans, and "new Chinese style" cultural and tourism products are becoming a new highlight in the consumer market.

Through preliminary research and thorough exploration, handcrafted Song brocade products, a form of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), came to the attention of the CDPF.

Song brocade originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and flourished in the Ming (1368-1644)and Qing(1644-1912) dynasties. It is renowned for its complex structure and exquisite patterns, and is known as the “crown of brocades”. Its cultural value has been recognized both nationally and internationally.

Moreover, its handcrafted products meet the production needs of the disabled, featuring fewer processes, shorter time consumption and lower difficulty.

Action speaks louder than words. The CDPF quickly introduced specialized talents to develop Song brocade products, connecting two daycare institutions and a county-level association for the physically disabled. It provides product design and development, on-site training for the relevant disabled groups, and has successively launched a series of products such as pendants and necklaces.

To help the products gain popularity, the city and county-level disabled persons' federations have coordinated with relevant government departments and social resources to explore sales channels for the products by participating in exhibitions and sales activities, product procurement, and Party building activities.

Combined with the construction of the “Chenxin Home” (a care platform for the disabled), the project has achieved the brand operation of the auxiliary employment for ICH Song brocade.

At present, the project has carried out 16 themed practical activities, participated in 33 various exhibition and sales activities, confirmed 3 stable product selling points, launched online sales of project products, and gradually achieved market-oriented operation, helping more than 160 disabled people increase their income.

Chinese source: hunantoday