Industry Research | 300 Million Chinese Are In Need of Accessible Environment Building

The Definition of Accessible Environment

An accessible (Barrier Free) environment is a space that allows free and safe movement, function and access for all, regardless of age, sex or condition, a space or aset of services that can be accessed by all, without obstacles, with dignity and with as much independence as possible. The environment means buildings, roads, parks, gardens and other places, service, modes of transportation, products of daily use, etc.(Masood, 2014)

The Accessibility Market in China

China has about 300 million people in need of "accessible environment" (85 million disabled people and 241 million people over the age of 60), creating a market of more than 1 trillion.

World Bank forecasts that with the acceleration of population aging, the proportion of the elderly at or over the age of 65 in China will reach 26%, and the accessibility market will reach 5 trillion by 2050.

The Construction of Barrier Free Environment in China

China's accessible facility construction began in 1989 and has gone through a process from initial exploration, promotion to systematic construction in the past 30 years. The government provides policy and environmental support for accessibility at the national level.

Chinese Companies Committed to Accessiblity Services

1. Domestic Accessibility

1）Shenzhen-based technology enterprise Mile Bot[CZ1] , established in 2016, focuses on rehabilitation medical robots. Thecompany has developed several advanced rehabilitation robot products based on human-machine interaction technology. (http://milebot.com.cn/)

2）Hangzhou-based technology enterprise Krvision mainly focuses on visual aiding facilities, and has launched products such as guiding glasses for the blind and navigation apps for thevisually impaired. The company has obtained 37 patents in total, with a user group of more than 39,000 people. (http://www.krvision.cn/)

2. Public Accessibility

1）Guangzhou-based enterprise Huatu Information Technology [CZ1] sets up an accessibility service platform to provide four services, namely Remote Assistance Glasses, Bus Assistance System, Subway Assistance Systemand Indoor Guiding System, which jointly form a closed-loop solution for visually impaired people. (http://www.huatugz.com/)

2）A map is the first map company in China to develop "color blind mode" for visually impaired people. The barrier-free map combines navigation and barrier-free facilities to help users realize accessibility. (https://www.amap.com/)

3. Special Accessibility

1）Currently, the barrier-free car service in China is mainly provided by DiDi[CZ1]   Accessibility project. Disabled people can choose the barrier-freecar service through DiDi APP. Barrier-free cars are modified from ordinary cars with bigger room and adjustable seats. (https://www.didiglobal.com/)

2）With the mission of "creating a global barrier-free environment", social enterprise The Robins[CZ1]   is committed to providing professional travel services to people with disabilities. The barrier-free insurance jointly launched by the company and Life Insurance Agency is the first comprehensive accident insurance product specially targeted at the disabled and the elderly in China. (https://www.the-robins.com/)

Future for Accessible Environment

China's barrier-free industry has achieved gratifying results, but the current low coverage of accessible services is still under concern. Advanced technology and sufficient funds are not enough to tackle the issues. In order to grow faster and stronger, enterprises in the this industry must take into account their social responsibilities. Only by understanding the real demands from users with empathy can they better gain customer’s credibility and market’s respect.

Reference

1. Glinskaya等, E.(2018). 《中国养老服务的政策选择：建设高效可持续的中国养老服务体系》.

2. Masood, H. (2014). Barrier Free Environment: An Analysis of Aligarh City, India. International Journal ofInter disciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(9), 8-15.

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4. 吕世明. (2013). 我国无障碍环境建设现状及发展思考. 残疾人研究, 3-8.

5. 极客公园. (2017, 0527). 针对特殊人群，滴滴上线「无障碍专车」. Retrieved from https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1568531741349125&wfr=spider&for=pc

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