Joint Efforts to Build a New Chongqing, Creating Barrier-free Environment

Before the opening of the annual sessions of the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress and the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the barrier-free environment inspection team went to Shapingba District to inspect the accessibility facilities, information, and services of communities, public transportation, and business districts on January 16, 2024. The inspection team planned to offer suggestions on promoting the construction of Chongqing's barrier-free environment at the Chongqing Two Sessions.

The inspection team at the Sanqiancheng Community in the Shapingba District. (Photo/Luhai International Communication Foundation)

Services warm people's heart

At 9:00 in the morning, in the corner of the service center of Sanqiancheng Community, No. 88, Cijian Village, Ciqikou Ancient Town, Shapingba District, a group of elderly people were sitting together, "discussing" recent news "quietly." "They are all hearing-impaired residents in the community; most are elderly," Community Secretary Zheng said. 

Most of these elderly individuals only know sign language and are unable to read text news. Therefore, they come to the community service center every morning to "listen" to the day's news, interpreted by Mr. Deng, an aged community backbone, through sign language. Afterward, they also engage in communication and discussions using sign language.

Mr. Deng, an aged community backbone, is greeting everyone. (Photo/Luhai International Communication Foundation)

More than 150 hearing-impaired people are living in the Sanqiancheng Community. In order to facilitate their lives, the community has built a public service space—Yuxin Home for them with the support of the Chongqing City Disabled Persons' Federation. In addition to fitness equipment, medical equipment, and audio-visual equipment, community workers can use basic sign language to help hearing-impaired people practice sign language dance.

In addition, Sanqiancheng Community also has the only "silent" police office in Chongqing—"Ms. Qiao's Silent Police Office." "My initial intention for establishing this office was to help friends with hearing impairments understand the latest national policies, provide them with common legal knowledge, and carry out anti-fraud and scam prevention campaigns, thus truly resolving the difficulties and concerns of those who are hearing or speech impaired." Since its establishment in 2019, "Ms. Qiao's Silent Police Office" has mediated more than 200 hearing impairment disputes and solved more than 240 problems for local hearing-impaired residents.

A police officer from "Ms. Qiao's Silent Police Office" is introducing work related to hearing impairments in the community. (Photo/Luhai International Communication Foundation)

"Hearing-impaired individuals also have legal demands. The practice of providing sign language services, like what is done in this police office, is worthy of promotion," affirmed Wang Ping, a member of the CPPCC Chongqing Municipal Committee. 

Formidable challenge of barrier-free facilities 

Building three of Sanqiancheng Community is dedicated to housing disabled residents. Compared to other buildings in the community, Building three has constructed an accessible ramp at the entrance. However, the inspection team still found that there is a lack of relevant prompts in areas related to the lives of people with disabilities, such as mailbox instructions, elevator buttons, and elevator voice announcements. Zhang Jun, a representative of the Shapingba Association of Persons with Visual Disabilities, said, "In communities, visually impaired individuals often face a difficulty that elevators lack voice announcements, so they are unable to determine which floor the elevator has stopped on. Consequently, it may take them up to an hour to reach their intended floor during such situations.

Later, the representatives blindfolded themselves and used canes to experience the real conditions of the public pedestrian paths with tactile paving and the accessibility facilities and services of public transportation together with visually impaired individuals.

Efforts in barrier-free environment construction

At the end of the event, Zhu Lin, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Shapingba District Disabled Persons' Federation, highlighted that a barrier-free environment is not only about hardware improvements but also about mental care.

Firstly, it is important to encourage persons with disabilities to step out of their homes and live a positive life. Secondly, there is a need to improve the general understanding of the barrier-free environment. In the future, more activities promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities into everyday social life should be conducted to help the public better understand and support individuals with disabilities.

The inspection team holds a symposium at the Shapingba District Disabled Persons' Federation. (Photo/Luhai International Communication Foundation)

Li Hanhan, a CPPCC Chongqing Municipal Committee member, expressed that there is still a gap between the current construction of barrier-free facilities and the actual needs of individuals with disabilities. "It is often easy to overlook the details of such facilities. The event has inspired me, especially regarding the subtleties in the lives and transportation of the disabled community. I plan to submit proposals to the Chongqing Two Sessions to address the construction of barrier-free facilities and raise awareness about accessibility."

Chen Can, deputy secretary-general of the Luhai International Communication Foundation, which initiated the Barrier-free Mountain City project, delivered a speech at the meeting, stating that the project is designed to call for more public engagement in advocating, researching, and supporting innovative services for organizations of persons with disabilities. 

As of now, the Foundation has organized three interactive accessibility-themed activities and supported two film screenings for individuals with disabilities, which allowed more than 200 visually impaired people to "hear" the films. It also produced a non-profit short film titled Invisible Gathering, which depicts the barrier-free lives of visually impaired individuals. The Foundation will continue to contribute to the construction of a barrier-free mountain city, ensuring individuals with disabilities and the elderly live an equal, full, and convenient social life.