A "Barrier Free" Guangzhou Ready for the Asian Para Games

The Asian Para Games officially kick off in the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Sunday. The city has made plenty of facility improvements to accommodate guests with special needs. The venues and athletes' village have also finished the transition from the Asian Games to the Asian Para Games. CRI's reporter Sun Yang has more.

With the Asian Para Games starting on Sunday, Guangzhou organizers have turned the host city into a handicap-friendly environment by installing barrier-free facilities in buses, taxis, subway stations, and hotels.

More than 500 buses with low-chassis will serve the disabled, and all subway stations have been equipped with facilities bearing Braille signs for blind people. In addition, 100 taxis specially-designed for wheelchair users have hit the road.Yang Xueliang is a technical engineer for the wheelchair accessible taxi.

"It has larger interior space and a greater door angle up to a maximum of 90 degrees. A wheelchair can reach directly onto the taxi through the barrier-free path. A unique seat belt system can fix the wheelchair to keep the clients safe."

Meanwhile, the official hotels, venues, and athletes' village have gone through renovations to cater facilities to the needs of handicapped visitors.

Home to over 3,000 competitors and officials, the athletes' village underwent a transformation after the Asian Games in preparation for the Asian Para Games.

Chen Guo, deputy secretary general of the Games organizing committee, said special services for disabled athletes are in place.

"The Athletes' Village has installed accessible facilities for the Games. We have set up accessible catering facilities, such as lower serving counters for Games participants with disabilities. We are also providing wheelchair and prosthetics repair services. In the event of inclement weather, coats and quilts will be provided to all athletes and officials taking part in the Games."

The success in transforming the Asian Games city into the Asian Para Games city has won praise from Dato' Zainal Abu Zarin, President of the Asian Paralympic Committee.

Abu Zarin said the Asian Para Games, the first one to be operated by the same organizing committee as the Asian Games, could be the benchmark for the Paralympic Movement to move into the region.

"Guangzhou has set a high standard for this first Para Games in all aspects of the management of the Games as well as the services to the athletes coming to participate. It will not be easy for other host cities in the future."

Abu Zarin hoped that the standard set by Guangzhou will be shared by those who would like to hold the Para Games in the future.

For CRI, I'm Sun Yang in Guangzhou.