A group of 17 disabled college graduates received their diplomas in Shanghai recently at a joyful yet emotional ceremony. The excited students, the first handicapped graduates, admitted they were somewhat worried about their futures.

　　Of the 17 hearing and speaking-impaired grads, only six had found employment.

　　The graduates, who majored in design and advertising, enrolled at the Shanghai Technical College in 2000 as the first group of full-time disabled college students in the city.

　　"What they (employers) say most often is that it is too hard to communicate with me," said Chen Feng, who was interviewed by more than 10 companies to no avail.

　　Tang jiqun, deputy dean of the department of art at the college, said the graduates who majored in design should be in demand.

　　"We never thought we would expect to see such a tough situation," he said.

　　Zhu yaohua, a hearing-disabled graduate, said in sign language: "If employers were a bit more patient, thought more of us and gave us more time, we would prove ourselves to be as good as the able-bodied people and even better."

　　Wang zhuo, another graduate, once won a silver award for packaging design in a national design contest in 2002.

　　Under government regulations, disabled people should account for at least 1.6 percent of the total work force in a company and institution. Those that hire fewer disabled employees than the minimum are required to fund a foundation to promote the employment of the disabled.

　　Nevertheless, many businesses would rather pay the money than hire the handicapped.

　　The shanghai Federation of Disabled Persons was exerting itself to help the disabled graduates seek jobs and public appreciation, especially among employers, to give them more opportunities, said Cao Ziping, a senior official.

　　In shanghai, there are 53 full-time and home study disabled graduates this year.