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 designed 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 barrier-free 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 it impossible for wheelchairs to pass; 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. Barrier-free restrooms face numerous problems—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, due to material issues, it has poor slip resistance in rainy weather. Braille signs may have errors or omissions, misleading visually impaired individuals; voice prompts are often missing, causing visually impaired travelers to lose their way. 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 deterioration of barrier-free facilities into “obstacles” has complex underlying reasons. Legally, current legislation is mainly promotive, with many advocacy-oriented 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 facilities are occupied or damaged. During construction, issues such as property conflicts, space limitations, structural safety, and funding create many “customized” requirements, restricting the improvement of accessible environments. In management, unclear responsibilities, mutual shirking, insufficient coordination, and resource shortages lead to a “rebuild but neglect maintenance” situation, preventing timely and effective upkeep.

The negative impacts of barrier-free facilities becoming “obstacles” are significant. For disabled and elderly individuals, it severely affects their freedom of movement and quality of life, reducing their motivation to participate in society. On a societal level, this contradicts the original goal of building an accessible environment for all and hampers the creation of an inclusive, harmonious society. It also results in resource waste—despite substantial government investment in constructing barrier-free facilities, various issues prevent these facilities from functioning as intended.

Addressing the problem of barrier-free 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. Meanwhile, encouraging social participation is essential—inviting disabled people, the elderly, and actual users to participate in planning, construction, and acceptance of barrier-free facilities, and integrating smart technology to enhance intelligent supervision. Breaking down departmental and industry barriers, guided by modernization and scaling, can mobilize more business entities to innovate and promote the application of accessible-related industries.

Building an accessible environment is an important symbol of social progress and civilization, directly related to everyone’s interests. We must not let barrier-free 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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