Yang rallies the Paralympic torch in Shenzhen in 2008, before the Beijing Paralympic Games open.

"I heard about software that could help me read the screen. I spent almost $200 to buy the software, which was about half my monthly salary then. That software dictates to me the content displayed on the computer screen. I can use it to surf the Internet, send e-mails and do word processing and spreadsheets," Yang says.

With the software, Yang hoped to pursue a postgraduate degree. But he found that no Chinese universities offered such degrees specifically for visually impaired people. As the first step toward getting a post-graduate degree from a foreign university, Yang decided to take the TOEFL for the blind.

"I taught myself English through computers. To start, I just downloaded textbooks from the Internet and recited the texts."

Yang took the test in Hong Kong last year, scoring a mark of 97 out of 120. After participating in video interviews and submitting the proper documentation, Yang received offers from two US universities. He chose to go to the University of Southern California.

"Studying can help me improve and fulfill my life. One can change one's fate through effort. I firmly believe that with effort, a child can draw a beautiful world if you give him a pen and paper," Yang says.