Disabled have more access to sports venues, blue book says

Disabled people, whose passion for sports have been brought into public focus thanks to the approaching 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, now have more access to competitive sports events, according to a recently published blue book.

The book — jointly produced by the China Commission on Promotion of Publicity for the Undertakings of Chinese Disabled Persons, the Social Sciences Academic Press and the Renmin University of China on Tuesday — said that hosting the Games will help encourage more disabled people to unleash their full potential in sports and change people's views on the group.

According to the book, Beijing has been striving to make the city barrier-free for disabled people since early December 2019. The capital has put emphasis on the construction of facilities that are easily accessible to the disabled around Games venues and key areas in the city.

The competition zone in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, is also well-prepared to embrace the athletes competing in the Paralympics, having built up over 250 elevators, 471 restrooms and 7,709 signposts catering to the disabled, according to the blue book.

The book also said that the Games will create new opportunities for sports development for the disabled and help improve the social environment and facilities to let help them better enjoy sports.