Don't let accessibility features become "barriers"

Wang Qi

With economic development and social progress, my country’s construction of barrier-free facilities has achieved certain results, and many cities have carried out special enhancement actions for barrier-free environments. Barrier-free facilities are originally designed to assist people with disabilities, the elderly, and others with mobility impairments or visual impairments. However, research has found that some public places lack barrier-free facilities or have them occupied; additionally, some facilities are poorly designed or unusable, resulting in obstacles for those with mobility difficulties.

Barrier-free facilities have become “obstacles,” and the issues are varied. In urban squares, barrier-free passages are blocked by S-shaped steel pipes and fixed iron chains, making it impossible for wheelchairs to pass; those with crutches can only move with great difficulty; hospital entrances lack auxiliary ramps, and security staff require elderly individuals to pass through barriers, leaving them and their families feeling helpless; barrier-free restrooms face numerous problems, with some safety grab bars’ lengths, paper dispenser and emergency call button positions not meeting standards, while others are closed, repurposed, or in extremely poor sanitary condition. Blind pathways are occupied by electric bicycles and vehicles, turning into “dead ends,” and even suffer from poor slip resistance due to material issues on rainy days; braille signs contain errors and omissions, misleading visually impaired individuals; the absence of audio prompts causes visually impaired individuals to lose their way while traveling. These phenomena are not isolated cases but are widespread across multiple regions, reflecting many loopholes in the construction and management of barrier-free facilities.

The reasons behind barrier-free facilities becoming “obstacles” are complex. From a legal perspective, the current legislative model is promotion-oriented, with many encouraging provisions, an inadequate supervision mechanism, and the need for detailed allocation of responsibilities, while relevant local legislation urgently requires revision. This makes it difficult for those in need to actively exercise their rights in situations where barrier-free facilities are occupied. During the construction process, practical issues such as property rights conflicts, spatial limitations, structural safety, and funding inputs also bring many “customized” requirements for enhancing barrier-free environments, limiting the improvement of facilities. In the management phase, unclear responsible parties, mutual shirking of responsibilities, insufficient coordination capabilities, or lack of resources lead to a situation where barrier-free facilities are “reconstructed but lightly managed,” unable to receive timely and effective maintenance.

The negative impacts of barrier-free facilities becoming “obstacles” should not be underestimated. For special groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly, this severely affects their freedom of movement and quality of life, reducing their enthusiasm for integrating into society. From a societal perspective, this violates the original intention of building a barrier-free environment for “shared by all,” which is not conducive to creating an inclusive and harmonious social environment. Furthermore, it also leads to a waste of resources, as substantial national funds invested in constructing barrier-free facilities fail to function as intended due to various issues.

Addressing the issue of barrier-free facilities becoming “obstacles” requires collaborative efforts from multiple parties. Strengthening overall design is crucial, improving relevant laws and regulations, detailing the allocation of responsibilities, and reinforcing accountability for violations to provide a solid legal guarantee for the construction of barrier-free environments. In the supervision and management phase, relevant departments should actively optimize the division of responsibilities and work processes, establish special functions to coordinate barrier-free needs, and achieve systematic and professional services. At the same time, encourage social forces to participate, inviting actual users such as people with disabilities and the elderly to participate in the planning, construction, and acceptance of barrier-free facilities, while introducing intelligent technology to enhance supervision levels. Cross departmental and industry barriers, guided by industrial modernization and scaling, can encourage more business entities to participate in the innovation and application promotion of barrier-free-related industries.

The construction of a barrier-free environment is an important symbol of social civilization progress and concerns the personal interests of everyone. We cannot allow barrier-free facilities to become “obstacles” but should work together to ensure these facilities truly function, providing a convenient sky for special groups.

This column article only represents the author’s personal views

(责任编辑：王治强 HF013)

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