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News about disability affairs in China and East Asia
国际残障事物信息
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Young minds, big ideas. Meet five laureates of the AIA
South China Morning Post 26th September 2026 Young minds, big ideas. Meet five laureates of the AIA Kowloon’s Choi Hung Estate is one of the most photographed corners of Hong Kong, its rainbow facades gracing thousands of Instagram grids. But how do you translate those colours, structures and spaces into something that a visually impaired person can “see”? Atta Yu Yee-ting, 22, a fresh graduate in occupational therapy from Polytechnic University, has an answer. Launched in 2
Chris McMillan
1 min read
American girl 'sees' world through Chinese AI
China Daily 20th September 2026 American girl 'sees' world through Chinese AI A brief, powerful video is moving millions across the globe. It shows Kendyl, a 10-year-old American girl who has been deaf since birth, putting on a pair of Hearview AI smart glasses developed by the Chinese tech company Xiao-i Corporation. As her mother speaks, advanced Chinese AI speech-to-text algorithms instantly turn the spoken words into glowing, low-latency subtitles on the lenses before her
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Plan to boost special education nationally
China Daily 9th September 2026 Plan to boost special education nationally Focus on building inclusive, accessible system for children with disabilities A new action plan, released by China's Ministry of Education and six other central government departments, has set a target to maintain the 97 percent enrollment rate of school-age children with disabilities in compulsory education through 2030. Released on Aug 31, the plan outlines a comprehensive push to build a high-quality
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Cutting-edge assistive tech to shine at Care & Rehabilitation Expo in Beijing
Global Daily 21st August 2026 Cutting-edge assistive tech to shine at Care & Rehabilitation Expo in Beijing By Li Lei Cutting-edge assistive technologies, including brain-computer interfaces, AI-powered rehabilitation robots and smart exoskeletons, will take center stage at the Care & Rehabilitation Expo China 2026, scheduled for Sept 3-5 at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, organizers said on Friday. Speaking at a news conference, Guo Shaohua, deputy director
Chris McMillan
1 min read
19-year-old with DMD enrolls at Shanxi University with electric wheelchair
China Daily 10th September 2026 19-year-old with DMD enrolls at Shanxi University with electric wheelchair Nineteen-year-old Zhang Zexin took the gaokao like millions of his peers, and his score won him a place at Shanxi University. On Sept 5, he arrived on campus in his electric wheelchair to complete his enrollment, joining more than 12,000 fellow freshmen. Zhang was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)—a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle degenerat
Chris McMillan
1 min read
China unveils first wheeled-legged guide robot, with 99% indoor obstacle avoidance rate, can even climb stairs
China Daily 7th September 2026 China unveils first wheeled-legged guide robot, with 99% indoor obstacle avoidance rate, can even climb stairs By Shen Sheng and Zhang Yiyi China’s Yuanshan Zhixing Technology has unveiled Xiaoyuan, the country’s first wheeled-legged guide robot, which can glide on flat ground and climb stairs, offering a new mobility solution for people with visual impairments, GT learned from the company. The robot features a hybrid wheeled-legged design. It c
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Free screenings to tackle myopia crisis
RTHK 8th September 2026 Free screenings to tackle myopia crisis The non-profit organisation, Orbis International, and the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) have launched a joint initiative to combat the city's myopia crisis The partnership will offer 1,000 free paediatric eye exams and 1,000 adult myopia screenings, alongside a three-year clinical trial for advanced therapies. Medical experts describe short-sightedness as a lifelong threat — a condition t
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Students win national award for smart cerebral palsy rehab system
Xi'an-Jitong - Liverpool University 28th August 2026 Science and Technology Students win national award for smart cerebral palsy rehab system By Huatian Jin Translated by Xueqi Wang Edited by staff editor A team of undergraduate researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has received a national award for its smart rehabilitation system for children with cerebral palsy that combats mental fatigue with fun, interactive games and collates real-time data. Lower-li
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Children, society benefit from inclusive education
China Daily 29th August 2026 Children, society benefit from inclusive education Next week, children across China will return to school. They will be packing their bags, putting on new uniforms and looking forward to seeing their friends and teachers again. It is a moment that reflects the importance that families and communities across China place on education and the opportunities it creates for every child. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how schools can become even
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Teen Developers Harness AI to Tackle Everyday Social ChallengesBuilding an Innovation Hub
City News Service 25th August 2026 Teen Developers Harness AI to Tackle Everyday Social Challenges Building an Innovation Hub by Zhu Shenshen Teenagers are turning to artificial intelligence to tackle everyday social challenges, developing projects ranging from a smart medicine cabinet for elderly residents in remote mountain villages to a 3D assistant for sign language learners and a visualized music training tool. More than 500 AI projects created by young developers were s
Chris McMillan
1 min read
China City Talk. How Shanghai is turning public spaces, technology and social care into everyday services
China Daily 21st August 2026 China City Talk. How Shanghai is turning public spaces, technology and social care into everyday services Reserving the best for people By Huang Lanlan, Hu Yuwei, Zhang Yashu and Chen Xia Editor's Note: An international metropolis on the shores of the East China Sea, a new migrant city rising from the Gobi Desert... China's cities embody a remarkable range of forms and efforts etched across a diverse range of landscapes, all of which is reflecte
Chris McMillan
2 min read
New education guideline mandates hands-on scientific inquiry projects
China Daily 5th August 2026 New education guideline mandates hands-on scientific inquiry projects The Ministry of Education issued on Tuesday a new guideline requiring all students in grades four through nine to complete at least one scientific inquiry project each semester, as part of a broader effort to strengthen hands-on science education and improve students' scientific literacy. The guideline launched the "Learning by Doing" initiative, which will take effect starting f
Chris McMillan
2 min read
From robot workers to AI glasses. Exploring everyday AI in Hangzhou
People's Daily 5th August 2026 From robot workers to AI glasses. Exploring everyday AI in Hangzhou In Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, artificial intelligence is stepping off the screen. It is taking physical form in robots that cook, serve customers, inspect equipment and assist people in their daily lives. Spanish filmmaker Larry Levene encountered that shift at the Hangzhou Embodied Intelligence Exhibition Centre, which gathers robots designed for real-world setti
Chris McMillan
1 min read
China-developed brain-computer interface robot helps patients walk again
Global Times 5th August 2026 China-developed brain-computer interface robot helps patients walk again Country’s BCI sector advancing toward industrialization at fast pace By Ma Jingjing Wanting to move but being unable to is the plight of patients with lower-limb mobility impairments. Today, a homegrown cutting-edge technology is working to solve this problem. Recently, at the high-end equipment exhibition area of the Anhui Innovation Pavilion in Hefei, capital of East China'
Chris McMillan
1 min read
China's implantable BCI tech helps quadriplegic patients return to work with latency below 50 ms
Global Times 31st July 2026 China's implantable BCI tech helps quadriplegic patients return to work with latency below 50 ms By Liu Yang and Zhang Weilan China's implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has made substantial progress in clinical trials, enabling multiple patients with high-level quadriplegia to return to work, with command latency below 50 milliseconds, the Global Times learned from Shanghai-based medical technology firm StairMed on Thursday. This
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Paralysis inspires Chinese man to build mind-controlled wheelchair that wins top prize
South China Morning Post 31st July 2026 Paralysis inspires Chinese man to build mind-controlled wheelchair that wins top prize A man from southeastern China transformed his experience with paralysis into a source of inspiration, creating a mind-controlled wheelchair prototype in just 48 hours during a technology competition. Wang Ning, 33, and his wife from Shenzhen recently took part in a Shanghai-based Hackathon hosted by RedNote, where they earned first prize in the hardwa
Chris McMillan
1 min read
HK airport offers sensory escape to ready autistic travelers for flights
Xinhua 27th July 2026 China to foster smart rehabilitation powered by brain-computer interface China will support rehabilitation training for people with disabilities by fostering application scenarios for smart rehabilitation devices integrated with non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technology during the 2026-2030 period, according to the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF). https://english.news.cn/20260727/312731e5f7a14176afdec4c4f0aee6d9/c.html
Chris McMillan
1 min read
HK airport offers sensory escape to ready autistic travellers for flights
Hong Kong Standard 27th July 2026 HK airport offers sensory escape to ready autistic travelers for flights A calming space with adjustable lighting and padded walls is now available at Hong Kong International Airport, helping passengers with autism and other hidden disabilities cope with travel stress in the busy airport environment. Located in the restricted area of Terminal 1, the Sensory Corner is the city’s first free multi-sensory facility designed to prepare neurodiver
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Novel device to help deaf patients hear effectively
China Daily 22nd July 2026 Novel device to help deaf patients hear effectively Chinese researchers have developed the world's first bionic neuromorphic auditory nerve interface, a groundbreaking electronic device that bypasses damaged natural auditory nerves to deliver processed sound signals straight to the neural pathways. The technology, created by a team at Nankai University in Tianjin, represents significant research advances in the field of neuromorphic auditory restora
Chris McMillan
1 min read
Art therapy greenlit as college major
China Daily 15th July 2026 Art therapy greenlit as college major. Move seeks to ease talent shortages, improve mental health services By CHEN NAN | JIN DING The Ministry of Education has approved "art therapy" as an undergraduate major, recognizing the rising importance of the practice in addressing mental health and supporting social care for vulnerable communities. The decision, made by the ministry on April 28, marks the first time art therapy has transitioned from an info
Chris McMillan
1 min read
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