People with disabilities recite poetry after a press conference on a national elevator installation program in Beijing on August 2 (YU LINTAO)

About 20,000 elevators will be installed in old residential buildings by the end of the year to facilitate accessibility for people with disabilities and seniors, according to a program launched by the China Commission of Promotion of Publicity for the Undertakings of Chinese Disabled Persons.

This year marks the seventh anniversary of a landmark regulation introduced by the Chinese Government to boost accessibility in facilities and buildings. It is expected to help tens of millions of seniors and people with disabilities living in old residential buildings earlier this year.

So far, the program has completed 2,000 installations in several provinces, said Xu Gang, Deputy Secretary General of the commission, at a news conference on August 2.

China has an estimated 85 million people with disabilities who need barrier-free design, along with the country's fast aging population. About 170,000 old communities nationwide need nearly 5 million elevators to improve living conditions for more than 42 million families.

China places great importance on creating a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities. According to a white paper on the protection of the rights and interests of people with disabilities over the past 70 years in China published recently, by 2018, all municipalities directly under the Central Government, cities specifically designated in the state plan, and provincial capitals had started barrier-free projects.

In addition, over 1,700 cities and counties have initiated efforts to improve accessibility and remove barriers. Among comprehensive service facilities in villages or communities across the country, 75 percent of entrances, 40 percent of service counters and 30 percent of restrooms have been built or upgraded for accessibility. The government has also accelerated the renovation of houses of families with disabled members, with almost 3 million of them improved between 2016 and 2018.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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