Life should start to be easier for disabled and elderly people travelling on planes, thanks to new regulations formulated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Effective from Tuesday, the Technical Standards for Airport Passenger Terminal Facilities with Accessibility by Individuals with Disabilities mark the start of a particular sector in the country enforcing such facilities.

According to the new rules, all new airports and those that are renovated must, from now on, be equipped with standard facilities for disabled and elderly people.

Other airports must make a timetable showing they plan to improve their facilities in the near future.

Referring to related international standards, the rules give special considerations to the needs of blind, deaf and dumb people as well as those who are unable to move around properly by themselves.

Deng Pufang, chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, highly praised the new standards as “a philanthropic act bringing the world closer to those unlucky persons, and a move set to greatly enhance the country’s civilization.”

“Travelling is a nightmare for many disabled and elderly people because society does not care enough for them,” he said.

“I wish more people would stop thinking that such facilities are just dispensable luxuries.”

Deng also hoped more special administrations will follow the example of the CAAC and equip bus terminals, railway stations and docks with such facilities.

He said he hoped the CAAC can carry on its efforts in other areas such as cabin services during flights.

Making society more equal might be the strongest desire of the country’s 60 million disabled people and 126 million elderly, he said.

(China Daily 05/01/2001)