China Disabled Persons' Federation Chair Zhang Haidi, who is also executive president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, told the media that the preparation of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games has gone smoothly, and the organizers of the Games are ready to welcome athletes from around the world at the 100-day countdown to the Games. 

Sports of the Winter Paralympic Games started late in China, and the hosting of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games has created a favorable opportunity for the development of the sports in China. 

Zhang said that sports of the Winter Paralympic Games have developed rapidly since China won the bidding of the Games. 

"Before Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, we only carried out two of the six Winter Olympic sports events — country skiing and wheelchair curling — and the number of Winter Paralympic athletes in China has increased from fewer than 50 to over a thousand currently. Chinese athletes will take part in all of six sports events in the Winter Paralympics."

Since 2016, Chinese athletes have participated in more than 50 international Winter Paralympic events and made breakthroughs on many occasions, especially at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games, where the Chinese wheelchair curling team won its first-ever gold medal, putting an end to China's zero-medal history at Winter Paralympic Games, Zhang said. 

The Chinese wheelchair curling team was also crowned champion of the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championships in Beijing in October.

Zhang said that the country made its preparation plan for the Winter Paralympic Games at a very early stage, which was to be carried out along with that of the Winter Olympic Games. All relevant departments are preparing for the two events simultaneously to ensure victory on two fronts. 

"In the preparation process, we have paid special attention to the special needs of disabled people and the construction of a barrier-free environment so as to create a good atmosphere for the whole society to care for the disabled and support the Winter Paralympic Games," said Zhang.

A barrier-free environment is the premise of safe, smooth, and convenient passage for the disabled, and is the top priority of the preparations for the Paralympic Games. 

Zhang said that the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games attaches great importance to the construction of a barrier-free environment, and has formulated the Accessibility Guidelines for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. In addition, competition and non-competition venues give priority to the experience of the disabled and enhance accessibility in accordance with the guidelines.

Zhang added, "Registration, catering, franchising, and other service areas have low-level service counters, low-level dining tables, low-level windows, and so on. In terms of information services, relevant websites and mobile phone softwares have been upgraded with barrier-free versions; braille and large-print publications have been printed; and the news conferences will provide sign language interpretation and clear signage. In addition, transportation services will provide barrier-free vehicles, and security services will provide barrier-free security accesses. In terms of medical services, orthopedic, prosthetic, and wheelchair repair centers will be set up in the venues, and special medicines and sanitary equipment will be prepared for the disabled as well.”

Thanks to the preparation for the Paralympic Winter Games, barrier-free environments in Beijing and Zhangjiakou have been improved and upgraded. 

Since November 2019, when Beijing launched a special campaign to improve accessibility, a total of 289,000 sites have been renovated and upgraded. Zhangjiakou has also made remarkable progress in barrier-free construction and transformation centering on public service, culture, education, sports, medical and health care, transportation, parks, squares, urban public toilets, and other areas.

"We are implementing key tasks in accordance with the requirements of clear direction, clear goals, and swift action," Zhang said. 

The venues for the Winter Paralympic Games are ready to host events, and the Winter Paralympic Village has opened to use. The barrier-free construction of venue facilities conforms to the guidelines, and solid progress has been made in preparation for venue operations, while the Winter Paralympic test events ran smoothly, she added.

In particular, specific policies and measures have been introduced for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, and the organization of competitions, event services, urban service security, cultural events, opening and closing ceremonies, volunteer organization, and security have all been carried out in an orderly manner as planned, Zhang concluded.

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