China Daily
15th November 2023
More efforts being poured into development of barrier-free facilities
By YANG ZEKUN
Authorities in China have intensified efforts to advance the construction of barrier-free environments to ensure the rights of specific groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly, officials said.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate has identified the development of barrier-free environments as one of the livelihood projects promoted under a reform initiative to expand the scope of public interest litigation cases in 2019. Since then, the SPP, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the China Disabled Persons' Federation have facilitated the nationwide comprehensive promotion of barrier-free facility construction.
According to the SPP, from 2019 to September 2023, procuratorial organs nationwide handled 7,526 public interest litigation cases pertaining to the development of barrier-free environments. This includes 7,497 administrative public interest litigation cases lodged against government departments and 29 civil public interest litigation cases.
Zhang Xueqiao, a deputy prosecutor-general at the SPP, said that procuratorial departments have focused on the construction of barrier-free facilities, addressing issues such as public facilities not meeting mandatory national standards and the illegal occupation of and damages done to barrier-free facilities.
Prosecutors have also tackled situations in which companies with disabled employees fail to construct or renovate barrier-free facilities according to standards and requirements. Through methods such consultations, public hearings and procuratorial suggestions, they have urged coordination with relevant departments to rectify these issues, Zhang said.