CHONGQING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Morning light seeps through the window as soft scraping sounds fill the air. Zhang Wei bends over his workbench, carefully shaping a plaster mold for a prosthetic limb.

"A deviation of even a millimeter in the prosthetic socket can affect mobility," said Zhang, head of the department of assistive rehabilitation devices at the Chongqing Civil Affairs Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

More than 20 years ago, when Zhang first entered the field, prosthetic fitting was still a little-known profession in China. He recalled that the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake became a turning point, deepening his commitment to the work.

Among the survivors of the disaster was Li Qing, then a junior high student, who lost her left leg and suffered severe injuries to her right leg.

"Her spirit was nearly crushed by pain and despair," Zhang said. Using 3D printing technology, Zhang crafted custom silicone insoles that helped Li regain confidence and mobility. Emboldened, Li found success as a college student, later becoming a designer.

In 2024, Li mailed Zhang a ticket to a sports event that she helped design. The ticket now hangs proudly in Zhang's office as a symbol of his dedication to helping amputees rebuild their lives.

Ning Qingyuan, a young prosthetist at the same Chongqing hospital, found her calling during senior high school after seeing a news clip of an elderly man hobbling on a homemade wooden leg at a vegetable market.

"His resilience moved me, but I wanted to use technology to ease the struggles of others like him," Ning said. Today, laser scanners map patients' limbs with millimeter precision on her computer, while innovations like myoelectric control and AI-powered sensors enhance the agility of prosthetics.

"Technology is rewriting the rules of rehabilitation," she noted.

These advancements align with China's broader push to improve support for people with disabilities. The country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) emphasizes improved policies for the assistive devices industry and enhanced R&D and accessibility for products such as prosthetics and orthotics.

Data showed that China's prosthetics market exceeded 5.13 billion yuan (about 713.11 million U.S. dollars) in 2023 and is expected to reach 5.42 billion yuan in 2025.

Yet challenges linger. "Prosthetics are not just tools but serve as shields of dignity," Zhang said, noting that many patients delay getting proper devices due to high costs.

To help address this, China has launched a program to subsidize prosthetics for low-income amputees. By 2024, the Chongqing government alone had invested 25.1 million yuan, providing assistive devices for 5,806 amputees.

On Sunday, which marks China's 35th National Day for Helping the Disabled, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the hospital's rehabilitation training room as usual.

"Assisting the disabled isn't charity. It's about giving everyone equal footing in the sunlight," Ning said.■