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Games prompt the break down of city's barriers
By Shi Xiaohan |
June 29, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HANGZHOU is hosting the seventh National Games for Disabled People this year. Fourteen out of the 22 sporting events will be held in Hangzhou with some 5,000 athletes coming into the city. Starting last year, Hangzhou has been preparing itself for the games by introducing a barrier-free infrastructure, renovating stadiums and intensively training volunteers.
Though the official opening of the games is on October 11, five advance events were held from June 11 to 19 in Hangzhou. Following these pre-games events which included archery, fencing, basketball, soccer and rowing, the city's barrier-free level - it's ease of accessibility for disabled people - was proven to be satisfactory.
"The level of barrier-free infrastructure can reflect the development of a city," said Chen Jiayuan, vice governor of Zhejiang Province. "As the barrier-free infrastructure is not only useful for the athletes during the games, but also for the daily life of senior citizens and other people with disabilities."
Hangzhou was among the first 12 cities in China to be nominated as a model city for barrier-free infrastructure in 2005. From 2004 to 2010, Hangzhou has renovated 482 roads, 1,434 public buildings and 511 public lavatories according to barrier-free standards.
In 2010, Hangzhou started preparing itself for the National Games for Disabled People with even stricter barrier-free standards. More than 2,000 buses with low chassis and 230 barrier-free taxis have been put into service since 2010.
This year, the 370 rooms of 31 hotels that are accommodating the athletes have also been refurbished. While most of the hotels have ramps for wheelchairs, some of them have to catch up with the standards. Changes such as larger room doors, lower reception tables and responsive room alarm systems have been made in the hotels.
Around the stadiums, more than 20 movable public lavatories were installed this month. The lavatories, 4 square meters each, are installed with automatic sensors and an alarm system. Some 100 buses, specially designed and made for transporting the athletes, have also been put in service for the games.
In addition to the renovation of sidewalk tiles for blind pedestrians, the city has also installed 380 audible traffic light systems at major crossroads, indicating to blind pedestrians when it is safe to cross.
The system, previously introduced in 2004, was uninstalled soon after due to the complaints from neighborhood residents. Last year, the city authority invited some blind citizens to test the new system. They later decided to adjust the volume of each audible traffic light depending on its location, traffic situation and hours in order to avoid further opposition.
Apart from the infrastructure construction, the training of the volunteers is vital for making the athletes feel at home. During the pre-games in June, some 2,300 volunteers served the events while more of them are going to serve the games in October.
Because of the special conditions of the athletes, the volunteers have to go through more intensive training than they would in preparing for any other events. Sign language and first aid are compulsory courses for every volunteer.
Special etiquette is taught for serving people with disabilities. "For example, we are not allowed to say xia shuo (a common Chinese slang term literally translated as blindly talking, meaning talking nonsense) in front of someone blind," explained He Jie, a sophomore student from Zhejiang Gongshang University.
"We are taught to be very detail-oriented as we do not want to offend the athletes by careless mistakes," said He.
However, after several days' serving as a volunteer helping out the athletes, He gradually became more carefree as she feels "the athletes were easy-going and cheerful as they enjoy the games more than anything."
"Their perseverance and optimism are empowering me as well," He said. "It takes a society to let the city go barrier-free. Most important of all, we need to tear down the barrier in our hearts and realize these people are the same as us."
As the theme song of the games goes:
"We share the same hope,
To grow strong and prosper;
We share the same prospect,
To challenge our limits,
To pursue our dreams."
Though the official opening of the games is on October 11, five advance events were held from June 11 to 19 in Hangzhou. Following these pre-games events which included archery, fencing, basketball, soccer and rowing, the city's barrier-free level - it's ease of accessibility for disabled people - was proven to be satisfactory.
"The level of barrier-free infrastructure can reflect the development of a city," said Chen Jiayuan, vice governor of Zhejiang Province. "As the barrier-free infrastructure is not only useful for the athletes during the games, but also for the daily life of senior citizens and other people with disabilities."
Hangzhou was among the first 12 cities in China to be nominated as a model city for barrier-free infrastructure in 2005. From 2004 to 2010, Hangzhou has renovated 482 roads, 1,434 public buildings and 511 public lavatories according to barrier-free standards.
In 2010, Hangzhou started preparing itself for the National Games for Disabled People with even stricter barrier-free standards. More than 2,000 buses with low chassis and 230 barrier-free taxis have been put into service since 2010.
This year, the 370 rooms of 31 hotels that are accommodating the athletes have also been refurbished. While most of the hotels have ramps for wheelchairs, some of them have to catch up with the standards. Changes such as larger room doors, lower reception tables and responsive room alarm systems have been made in the hotels.
Around the stadiums, more than 20 movable public lavatories were installed this month. The lavatories, 4 square meters each, are installed with automatic sensors and an alarm system. Some 100 buses, specially designed and made for transporting the athletes, have also been put in service for the games.
In addition to the renovation of sidewalk tiles for blind pedestrians, the city has also installed 380 audible traffic light systems at major crossroads, indicating to blind pedestrians when it is safe to cross.
The system, previously introduced in 2004, was uninstalled soon after due to the complaints from neighborhood residents. Last year, the city authority invited some blind citizens to test the new system. They later decided to adjust the volume of each audible traffic light depending on its location, traffic situation and hours in order to avoid further opposition.
Apart from the infrastructure construction, the training of the volunteers is vital for making the athletes feel at home. During the pre-games in June, some 2,300 volunteers served the events while more of them are going to serve the games in October.
Because of the special conditions of the athletes, the volunteers have to go through more intensive training than they would in preparing for any other events. Sign language and first aid are compulsory courses for every volunteer.
Special etiquette is taught for serving people with disabilities. "For example, we are not allowed to say xia shuo (a common Chinese slang term literally translated as blindly talking, meaning talking nonsense) in front of someone blind," explained He Jie, a sophomore student from Zhejiang Gongshang University.
"We are taught to be very detail-oriented as we do not want to offend the athletes by careless mistakes," said He.
However, after several days' serving as a volunteer helping out the athletes, He gradually became more carefree as she feels "the athletes were easy-going and cheerful as they enjoy the games more than anything."
"Their perseverance and optimism are empowering me as well," He said. "It takes a society to let the city go barrier-free. Most important of all, we need to tear down the barrier in our hearts and realize these people are the same as us."
As the theme song of the games goes:
"We share the same hope,
To grow strong and prosper;
We share the same prospect,
To challenge our limits,
To pursue our dreams."
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