CRI听力:State Council has Issued the Barrier Free Environment Construction Regulations

The purpose of the newly issued regulations is to provide the disabled with barrier-free access to public transportation, transportation-related facilities and neighborhood districts as well as provide information to them about such access.

Some of the disabled people we talked to believe the regulations will be beneficial for them.

Ms. Zhang is the mother of a hearing-impaired six-year-old who has been in the China Rehabilitation Research Center for deaf children for a year and a half.

She says the new regulations will make the lives of disabled people much easier and suggests that the government implement more specific measures.

"I think the regulations are good, as they protect the interests of the disabled. I think more help is still needed in public places, like volunteers and public devices. For example, at the bus stops in Beijing, a speaker that tells vision-impaired passengers information about the stops is needed."

Du Peng, Vice President of the Research Institute for Development of the Disabled with Renmin University, says the regulations have clearly set out the barrier-free measures for the disabled and made the facilities safer.

Du says specific measures in different cities should be taken, as the construction and maintenance of barrier-free facilities in each city tend to vary.

"Even though the regulations are not that specific, they provide general guidance for setting up specific regulations in each city. When carrying out the regulations, cities should carry out individual measures in order to achieve better results."

Du adds that difficulties may arise in the process of enforcing the regulations, and further efforts are still needed.

"First, authorities should enhance the supervision and management of the government, increasing the government's responsibility. Second, we need to know what the disabled think of the barrier-free facilities, to get to know their needs and requirements"

Du also says the regulations will benefit the society as a whole.

"A large portion of the disabled population tend to be elderly people, so the construction and maintenance of the barrier-free facilities certainly benefit them. They can also facilitate the movement of young children. And as permanent public facilities, they represent improvement in our society."

Du believes special efforts should be made at the very beginning of the implementation of the regulations.

"The public should first know that barrier-free facilities provide conveniences for the entire public. Second, we should ensure that the facilities are properly used. Third, other people should take the initiative to learn about the needs of the disabled and be more considerate towards them."

Meanwhile, Yang Lixiong, Vice Dean of the Social Security Center at Renmin University, stresses that the pubic should also do their part when implementing the regulations.

"Many people perhaps don't care to notice that the lanes for blind people on sidewalks are often blocked. We should improve the situation. Besides, we need to encourage the disabled to work and live independently. The best way to do this is to provide them with barrier-free facilities."

The new regulations will take effect on August 1st, 2012.

For CRI, I am Long Kun.