Don't Let Accessibility Facilities Become "Obstacles"

Wang Qi

With economic development and social progress, China has achieved certain results in the construction of barrier-free facilities, and many cities have launched special improvement campaigns for accessible environments. Barrier-free facilities are originally meant to facilitate the mobility of disabled people, the elderly, and others with limited movement or visual impairments. However, surveys have found that some public places lack accessible facilities or have them occupied, and some facilities are poorly designed or unusable, hindering the travel of those with mobility challenges.

Barrier-free facilities have become “obstacles,” with various issues. In city squares, accessible pathways are blocked by S-shaped steel pipes and fixed iron chains, making wheelchair passage impossible; those using crutches can only move with difficulty. Hospital entrances lack auxiliary ramps, and security personnel even require elderly people to pass through barriers, leaving seniors and their families feeling helpless. There are numerous problems with accessible restrooms—some have safety grab bars, paper dispensers, and emergency call buttons that do not meet standards; others are closed, repurposed, or in poor sanitary condition. Tactile paving is often occupied by electric bikes and vehicles, turning into “dead-end roads,” and sometimes the material’s slip resistance is poor in rainy weather. Braille signage has errors or omissions, misleading visually impaired individuals; voice prompts are missing, causing confusion during travel. These issues are not isolated but widespread across multiple regions, reflecting many loopholes in the construction and management of accessible facilities.

The deterioration of barrier-free facilities into “obstacles” has complex underlying reasons. Legally, current legislation is mainly promotive, with many advocacy-based provisions, but oversight mechanisms are inadequate, responsibilities are not clearly defined, and local laws urgently need revision. This makes it difficult for those in need to actively exercise their rights when accessible facilities are occupied or damaged. During construction, conflicts over property rights, space limitations, structural safety, and funding pose additional “customized” challenges, restricting the improvement of accessible environments. In management, unclear responsibilities, shirking, insufficient coordination, and resource shortages lead to a “rebuild without proper maintenance,” preventing timely and effective upkeep.

The negative impacts of accessible facilities becoming “obstacles” are significant. For disabled and elderly individuals, this severely affects their freedom of movement and quality of life, reducing their motivation to participate in society. On a societal level, it contradicts the original goal of “public sharing” in accessible environment construction and hampers the creation of an inclusive, harmonious society. Moreover, resources are wasted—large sums invested by the state in building accessible facilities are rendered ineffective due to various issues.

Addressing the problem of accessible facilities turning into “obstacles” requires coordinated efforts from multiple parties. Strengthening top-level design is crucial—improving relevant laws and regulations, clarifying responsibilities, and strengthening accountability for violations to provide a solid legal guarantee for accessible environment construction. In supervision and management, relevant departments should proactively optimize responsibility allocation and workflows, establish specialized functions to coordinate accessibility needs, and realize systematic and professional services. Additionally, encouraging social participation by involving disabled people, the elderly, and actual users in planning, construction, and acceptance of accessible facilities is essential. Introducing digital and intelligent technologies can enhance supervision levels. Breaking down departmental and industry barriers, guided by modernization and scaling, can motivate more operators to participate in innovation and application of accessible-related industries.

Building an accessible environment is an important symbol of social progress and civilization, directly related to everyone’s well-being. We must not let accessible facilities become “obstacles,” but instead work together to ensure these facilities truly serve their purpose and create a more convenient world for vulnerable groups.

This column article reflects only the author’s personal views.

(Editor: Wang Zhiqiang HF013)

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