Leaving a national legacy

Province's staging of Asian Para Games brings countrywide benefits for people with disabilities

The preparation and hosting of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province, has effectively elevated the equity and inclusion of people with disabilities in Hangzhou and wider Zhejiang, with its example-setting influence set to expand across the country, said the organizing committee and relevant organizations dedicated to the well-being of people with impairments.

"The Hangzhou Asian Para Games have played a huge role not only in promoting the development of sports for people with disabilities, but also the progress of social civilization when their rights of equal access to health, fitness and a social life, among others, are further guaranteed," said Lyu Lin, deputy secretary general of the Asian Para Games Hangzhou Organizing Committee.

Lyu, also chairman of Zhejiang Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation, said that, since Zhejiang started to prepare for the Games in 2018, the province has seized the opportunity to vigorously develop sports for people with disabilities, coordinate preparations and organize various tasks to improve their access to numerous facilities and development opportunities.

"We have achieved new breakthroughs in the development of sports for people with disabilities, with Zhejiang ranking top in the number of medals achieved in various para sports competitions," Lyu said, adding that half of the 69 para athletes representing the province's 3.12 million people with disabilities at the ongoing Para Games have the chance to win a medal.

At the same time, Zhejiang has also explored measures to improve the accessibility of its social environment, the level of public services and the capacity to prosper in life and work for people with disabilities, Lyu said.

As the host city, Hangzhou has benefitted the most from preparing and hosting the Asian Para Games, according to Yang Yingying, chairperson of Hangzhou Municipal Disabled Persons' Federation.

"In our preparations for the Asian Para Games, we've been dedicated to improving the urban barrier-free environment, doing our best to make it possible for people with disabilities to go anywhere they want," Yang said.

People with disabilities were invited to experience the competition venues for the Games and other major support facilities across the city, and provide their feedback for further improvements, according to Yang.

Hangzhou has also forged ahead with the barrier-free renovation of old residential areas, upgrading up to 140,000 facilities and creating 121 barrier-free communities over the past five years. The city also carried out renovations, providing accessible facilities for 15,000 families with disabilities, and promoted the barrier-free development of government websites, service windows, public service agencies and other facilities.

"We also use digital means to help people with disabilities enjoy the various conveniences brought by the internet to the greatest extent possible," Yang said, citing the country's first full-lifecycle digital disability assistance service system, which has been rolled out in the city.

The system allows people with disabilities to access governmental services with only a few clicks.

As Hangzhou prepared for the Games, the city has also been actively exploring the development of equity and inclusion for people with disabilities on the national level, Yang continued.

"We have explored measures to improve the social security system and build a care service system for them," she said.

For example, to ensure their rights of employment, Hangzhou has been pushing the government and society to jointly organize skills training for people with disabilities and encourage large enterprises to take the lead in hiring people with impairments. The city has also established care centers, rehabilitation homes and rehabilitation stations for people with disabilities at the community level.

"Although the Asian Para Games last only a short time, this event is set to leave precious legacies beyond the sports venues and facilities for people with disabilities," said Wang Hongwei, deputy director general of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.