Thomas Li   

Taking buses, going shopping, playing in the park - these are the most common daily routines for most of us. But they are a huge challenge for people with physical disabilities - which accounts for nearly 25 million people in China. Due to the lack of accessible facilities, many them are virtually confined at home and isolated from the society. In fact, Chinese law requires major public buildings to be accessible. However, due to oversight by local governments, many facilities are in disrepair, or even dangerous for people with disabilities.

In the summer of 2021, my colleagues at Southern Metropolis Dailyand I conducted a survey of accessibility in Zhuhai, a city in southern China with a population of over 3 million. In more than two months, we did detailed research on the accessible facilities of major instations, libraries, shopping malls and parks in the city, and exposed the problems existing in these facilities through special reports on three consecutive weekends. We also submitted a report to the local legislature. Legislation was passed later that year giving local governments the power to penalize and remediate builders who fail to comply with accessibility guidelines. Our project was awarded as the "Best In-depth Reporting" by Zhuhai Journalists Association in 2022.