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Wheelchairs users battle barriers - 26th May 2021

Roughly 85 million out of China's 1.4 billion population are reported to be wheelchair users. As China modernises at speed, President Xi has promised to improve disabled facilities. But people's attitudes have fallen behind and facilities remain limited.

In Shanghai, wheelchair users are frequently forced onto the busy roads to get from one place to another.

Huang Yan, who works in e-commerce, believes the situation is improving.

Huang Yan: "Of course the whole situation [for wheelchair users] is improving, including people's attitudes. Ten years ago, many people would look at me as an alien. But now they see me as their equal and don't pay too much attention to me. Moreover, the barrier-free facilities are improving too."

However, many issues remain. Zhao Hongcheng is a vlogger. She campaigns for disability rights. She’s been using a wheelchair since age 11, after getting polio. Zhao also has a Master's degree, but she realises that access to education is limited for many disabled people.

Zhao Hongcheng: "Wheelchair users still face difficulties getting into education and employment. That's why they're not being seen very often, but that doesn't mean there are not many of them. The number of wheelchair users is actually very high."

Both Huang and Zhao inform Shanghai’s authorities when they face negative attitudes and difficulties in getting around. At times, these problems are dealt with. However, both women are aware that life outside the cities is more challenging. They are campaigning to improve disability rights.