JD and Bose have teamed up on an initiative to assist hearing-impaired children in China.

JD, the country's second-largest e-commerce company, is partnering with Massachusetts-based electronics firm Bose to create a fund aimed at helping teenagers with hearing impairments. Specifically, for every latest wireless Bose product sold on JD's e-commerce platform, the two companies will donate 10 yuan ($1.58) each.

"Contributing to society using our own power has long been our corporate culture," said Liu Yuanzhi, director of the audio entertainment department at JD. "In past years, we launched a series of public welfare activities. Last April, we joined hands with Apple Inc on a welfare campaign for autistic children. Likewise, this initiative we launched aims at gathering the power from the whole society, to offer love and support to children with hearing disorders.

"JD and Bose launched this public welfare initiative with the aim of bringing more and more people involved into (helping) these children. Furthermore, we will continue to launch such initiatives to fulfill our obligations to society."

He said JD teamed up with Bose because of the latter's reputation and popularity.

"As one of the world's most popular audio producers, Bose has a good reputation among consumers. We want to convey the idea to consumers that while they are enjoying the music, they also contributed to the public welfare undertaking of caring for children with hearing impairment," Liu said.

The initiative was organized by two Chinese public service platforms - China Power and China Health Education Program. The former mainly offers services to nonprofit organizations and welfare activities related to teenagers, while the latter focuses on educational and medical undertakings in the nation's poverty-stricken areas.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, there are 27.8 million hearing-impaired people in China, among them 137,000 younger than 6. In addition, there are on average 23,000 children born each year with hearing disorders, leaving China with the largest hearing-impaired population in the world.

Moreover, because of unbalanced distribution of aid agencies and a lag in services, numerous children with hearing disorders do not have access to screening in the first place.

"Hearing impairment harms children's hearing and verbal abilities, bringing them difficulties in learning as well as in finding a job. We need to try our best to facilitate them to return to society with normal language-proficiency level," said Hao Yajing, from the social cooperation department of the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment.

Wang Fangyuan, secretary general of China Power, said: "The initiative enables the public to offer help to hearing-impaired children in the easiest way. Using one's own power to help others, without feeling burdened, is the essence of public welfare."

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/22/2018 page18)