In the days leading up to May 21, the national day for helping people with disabilities, a recent lawsuit has caught public attention. A residential compound in Wuhan, Hubei Province, recently filed a case against a resident with a disability, who refused to pay property management fees because the compound had failed to fulfill its promise to install a wheelchair ramp at the building entrance. The dispute ended in a court decision in favor of the resident. 

People with disabilities have the same rights as all other people to non-discrimination, access, privacy, inclusion and more. Yet injustice still comes in many shapes and forms. Many employers have specified in their job requirements that applicants should not have any type of disability. Tactile pavements, a type of footpath designed for people with impaired vision, are often blocked by carelessly parked bicycles.

Having discerned these problems, many Chinese cities are upgrading their infrastructure and services to become more disabled-friendly. Some cinemas provide audio description services for people with sight loss. Smart wheelchairs powered by voice recognition and navigation technologies have also allowed people with disabilities to lead more independent and empowered lives.

This is an edited excerpt of an article published by Workers' Daily on May 23