ECNS
1st September 2023
Life made easier for those facing difficulties
2023-09-01 China Daily Editor：Mo Honge
Barrier-free law brings significant benefits for the blind, visually impaired, among others
More large-font textbooks are to be published and offered to visually impaired students, thanks to national lawmaker Wang Yongcheng, who is blind.
Wang, a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, traveled to Beijing from Fujian province in March to attend the first session of the 14th NPC, where he suggested the nation strengthen the publication and supply of such textbooks to meet students' needs.
He offered this advice after finding that more students with visual impairments are studying from the same textbooks in schools as those with good eyesight.
On June 28, a law on a barrier-free living environment was adopted by the NPC Standing Committee, which accepted Wang's advice.
Taking effect on Friday, the law makes it clear that China encourages the compilation and publication of textbooks in Braille or in versions for those with poor vision to provide better reading conditions for blind or visually challenged students.
Recalling the suggestion he made in March, Wang, who is vice-chairman of the China Association of the Blind, said, "The font size, colors and artwork in the textbooks currently in use can easily cause visual fatigue, meaning that the sight of visually impaired young people will worsen.
"To help resolve the problem and provide these people with a better platform for their voices to be heard, I submitted the suggestion to the top legislature."
The NPC paid great attention to the suggestion. It asked members of its Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission to visit Wang in May to learn more about his ideas to optimize measures for the visually impaired.