People in Beijing with sight problems now have the same access to library services as sighted people. The Beijing-based Chinese National Library for the Blind opened a new location on Tuesday that features Braille books, audio-books and exhibitions.

The library, founded in 1994, had been hampered by lack of space and outdated facilities at its previous location.

The new location has 28 thousand square meters and is divided into many sections that include training and exhibition areas.

The new library boasts a collection of over 50 thousand Braille books as well as books with enlarged text and audio recordings.

It also features state-of-the-art technology to aid blind people in reading, such as special reading devices that contain a scanner and a speaker.

Yu Shixiang, sight-impaired reader, said, "This is the scanner. When I scan a page and put the storage card into the speaker, the page is read aloud. This tool is so convenient, and it enables us to read any book."

Facilities in the library are also designed in a user-friendly way for blind people.

Shi Ran, sight-impaired reader, said, "The tables are specially designed for us, as Braille books are quite heavy and tables are adjusted low. There are also places for us to store our canes."

The library also provides mail service for the blind, which enables them to read at home.

According to China Disabled Persons' Federation, China now has 12.33 million visually impaired people.