After the rousing success of the Beijing Olympic Games, the 2008 Paralympic Games kicked off with another remarkable opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest on September 6 - and as before computer-maker Lenovo is there to help.

As a partner and the exclusive computing equipment provider of the 2008 Paralympic Games, Lenovo says its effort will assist to ensure "two Olympics, equally magnificent" following its achievements in providing a vast and robust information system for the Summer Olympic Games.

Lenovo has selected 14 torchbearers with disabilities and Chinese nationals devoted to the care and support of the disabled to help bring the Olympic flame to the Bird's Nest.

Four of the torchbearers are heroes from the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. Qing Jingwen, a middle school student with no legs from Mianzhu city, Pang Shanlan, a reporter at the front lines from the West China Metropolis Daily, Wang Tao, a volunteer from Southwest University of Science and Technology who helped rescue 16 students from the ruins, and Guo Tingting, a Juyuan Middle School student in Dujiangyan who was rescued 11 hours after becoming buried, were among those selected by Lenovo to carry the torch.

A successful, top-notch Paralympic Games needs not only wide participation from athletes but also the provision of advanced information technology. After providing 580 engineers and 30,000 pieces of computer hardware for the Beijing Games, Lenovo has added 600 more tailored hardware items for the Paralympics.

"Lenovo is dedicating itself to the development of the careers of the disabled and helping more people with disabilities to realize their Paralympic dreams," said Chen Shaopeng, senior vice-president of Lenovo Group and president of its China and Russia business.

"As a partner of the Beijing Paralympic Games and a global enterprise, Lenovo vows it will provide the same quality service and has provided a series of designs for the disabled."

Lenovo is providing 240 computers and seven Internet lounges with barrier-free designs at the Paralympic Villages and the Main Press Center in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong for the Paralympics.

The computer maker also supplied Braille printers, special keyboards and barrier-free information terminals with text-to-voice technology that read out words on computer monitors. Work stations also have the capacity to print conventional Web pages in Braille, adding to the comprehensive design that allows blind athletes to surf on the Internet, check email and chat with relatives and friends.

Technicians and other staff from Lenovo have also been trained with professional skills to assist the disabled, including the use of Braille cards to communicate.

(China Daily 09/08/2008 page5)