Our team has extensive knowledge of disability and impairment, rights and activism, accessibility and inclusion, education and organisational culture, and often a combination of many of these areas. Some of this knowledge is gained from direct personal experience of disability; and some of it comes from long-term working with disabled people and disabled peoples’ organisations in China, East Asia and beyond.
Stephen Hallett – Executive Director
Stephen Hallett has lived and worked in China since 1980. After producing documentaries for over a decade, his own visual impairment inspired him to begin exploring the potentialities of disability and, since 1999, he has committed his energies to contributing to disability rights and social equity in China. Stephen is a founder member of China Vision and in 2010 he was awarded an OBE for his work in the disability rights field. From 2018-23 he ran the U-Lead East Asia Disability Rights Forum research initiative at the University of Leeds.
Find out more about Stephen Hallett’s work and the U-Lead initiative 
Sarah Dauncey – Chair of Trustees
Professor Sarah Dauncey is Professor of Chinese Society and Disability in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. She has over 30 years’ experience in East Asia and has a strong personal interest in disability, all of which has stimulated and informed her research into disability in the region. She has published extensively on disability, citizenship, identity and culture. Her most recent book Disability in China: Citizenship, Identity and Culture was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.
Chris McMillan – Secretary
Chris McMillan was diagnosed with nystagmus soon after birth, schooled completely within the special education system. Chris met her first Chinese students while at technical college in 1970 and has spent over 40 years as a volunteer for UK organisations, supporting people with visual and other disabilities. She was a founding member of China Vision and continues to maintain its bilingual (English and Chinese) news blog.
Graham de Smidt – Treasurer
Graham de Smidt has been a community development worker and photographer, worked in the further education sector for 20 years, most recently training vocational teachers. He also has extensive experience designing online teacher education courses and has volunteered at the RNIB.
Theresa Mellon – Trustee
Theresa Mellon is a Leadership and Organisation Development Coach working with small and medium not-for-profit organisations in the UK and internationally. She has extensive experience of managing development programmes for NGOs in Africa and Central Asia and a strong background in organisational learning and development. As a member of our project working group, she provides direct support to our strategic and operational efforts. She also provides coaching and mentoring for our partner organisations.
Lu Han – Trustee
Lu Han obtained a postgraduate degree in education in New York and worked for ten years in the fields of inclusive education and disability rights in China. She has a strong interest in writing, literature and long-form journalism and currently works on international philanthropic projects.
Alex Pearl – Trustee
Dr Alex Pearl is an ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow based in the School of Law at the University of Leeds. Her present work focuses upon improving financial flourishing outcomes for disabled adults living in the community. She has published in the field of disability rights, mental capacity law and implementation of the UNCRPD. She is co-editing a forthcoming book based upon the work undertaken through the U-Lead East Asia Disability Rights Forum. As a member of our project working group, she provides direct support to our strategic and operational efforts.
Anxi Jiang – Trustee
Anxi Jiang is a musicologist from Beijing and has worked as a film researcher and producer of TV documentaries about China for the past 20 years. She has worked with China Vision on disability affairs in China since 2006.
Lili Wang – Trustee
Lili Wang is a former broadcaster and journalist with the BBC World Service. She is a specialist in media and Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs. She travels widely in the region.
Sue Walker – Trustee
Sue Walker gained extensive understanding of visual impairment and other disabilities whilst working for the Royal London Society for the Blind and in mainstream education. She has travelled widely to support specialist visual impairment education, covering Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Sue was a founding member of China Vision. She provides direct support to our work as Health and Safety Officer for ABB.
Ellen Bassani – Associate
Ellen Bassani has been a Social Worker, public speaker, university lecturer and, for the last twenty-five years, disability equality trainer. She has conducted a series of disability equality training programs in China. She regards her visual loss as her greatest gift and encourages others to validate their own experience.
Paul Crook – Associate
Paul is a former broadcaster and journalist with the BBC Chinese Service. A specialist in Chinese affairs, including culture and human rights, he has a special interest in LGBT rights. He travels widely in China and East Asia. Paul was a founding member of China Vision.