BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- As journalists gathered in the press hall of China's State Council Information Office on Friday afternoon, a special guest quietly joined them on stage, a Labrador retriever named "Aiju."
Calmly sitting beside its visually impaired owner, the guide dog became the first of its kind to enter the State Council Information Office's briefing room.
Aiju's owner, Wang Zhihua, heads an accessibility program at a ride-hailing platform.
At the press conference, Wang joined four other people with disabilities to share their experiences in helping improve accessibility and inclusion for disabled communities in China ahead of the country's national day of assisting persons with disabilities, which falls on May 17 this year.
"Guide dogs do more than lead the way. They also provide companionship and emotional support," Wang said.
For visually impaired people, accessible travel requires more than tactile paving, he added. It also depends on the means that can help them identify directions and avoid danger.
The appearance of the guide dog in one of China's highest-profile official press venues reflected broader efforts in recent years to make public life more accessible to people with disabilities.
In 2023, China enacted a law on building a barrier-free living environment, aiming to ensure that disabled and elderly people can participate in and integrate into society on an equal, full and convenient basis while sharing the benefits of economic and social development.
Under the law, operators and managers of public venues, transportation facilities and public transit systems are required to provide access and assistance for service animals, including guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs accompanying people with disabilities.
Across many Chinese cities, allowing guide dogs into public venues and creating designated rest areas for them has become increasingly common in newly built or renovated stadiums, cultural and commercial complexes, and transportation hubs. China's railway and civil aviation authorities have also introduced regulations supporting guide dogs on trains and flights.
According to Li Qingzhong, chairman of the China Association of Persons with Visual Disabilities, China currently has nine guide dog training centers that train dogs to assist visually impaired people.
In recent years, China has implemented the Marrakesh Treaty, improving access to reading materials for people with print disabilities.
Schools have adopted more individualized arrangements for students in special education, while the national college entrance examination has increasingly provided necessary support for students with special needs as a regular practice.
For many observers, these changes represent more than policy adjustments. They are increasingly seen as signs of a society becoming more inclusive, where convenience, dignity and participation are gradually being extended to more people in everyday life. Enditem
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