On a Saturday afternoon on November 30th, the public welfare team of Shanghai Hubang Intelligent Rehabilitation Equipment Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Hubang") walked into the accessible interactive market of Xinhua Community in Shanghai with enthusiasm and deep care, which is also the first "accessible" themed interactive art market in Shanghai.
In our daily lives, perhaps we have all experienced such moments: being bedridden due to illness pain, needing crutches or wheelchairs for transportation due to accidents, being unable to speak due to hoarseness, having difficulty breathing due to nasal congestion, and even being unable to stand due to sudden dizziness. At these moments, our bodies seem to be "bound" by invisible shackles, becoming "obstacles" in a sense.
▲ Barrier free interactive market clip ▲
Some people may only experience these challenges briefly, while others need to struggle with them for a long time. But regardless of the length of time, an accessible environment, attentive service, and the understanding and support of others are all crucial. In this fast-paced society, we often overlook the 1% of people who are unable to travel freely due to various reasons. Therefore, we should not only pay attention to the construction of accessible environments when we or our relatives and friends are facing difficulties, but also start to show concern for the situation of disabled groups.
There is a group of people who silently initiate discussions on accessibility issues before the public is aware, and take practical actions to improve the living conditions of disabled groups bit by bit. The Hubang Public Welfare Team is deeply honored to be a member of this warm force.
▲ Wheelchairs sponsored by HuBang ▲
At the accessible interactive marketplace, four experience areas have been carefully designed to allow participants to personally experience the daily lives of special groups. There are blindfolded tactile paving (specially designed for visually impaired people), wheelchair accessible ramp (to experience the convenience and challenges of wheelchair travel), "Kaimai" aging facilities to find out about dating (to explore the convenience and troubles of elderly life), and 10 sign language quick coffee free challenges (to experience the daily communication of hearing impaired people).
Why are they trapped at home
In the area of blindfolded experience of the tactile paving, the staff of the Mutual Public Welfare Team covered their eyes and relied on the touch of their fingertips to navigate the maze of the tactile paving. Touch and perceive the obstacles hidden in daily life with your fingers - bicycles, electric bikes, stone pillars, trash cans, mailboxes, etc. These seemingly incredible obstacles actually exist on the travel routes of blind people. The moment we turn off our vision, we deeply appreciate the hardships and difficulties of traveling for the blind. In the maze of tactile paving, it took us four minutes to find the destination from home to the subway. This experience deeply shocked us and strengthened our determination to contribute to the construction of an accessible environment.
▲ Barrier free interactive market clip ▲
In the area where wheelchair users experience accessible ramps, the Hubang Public Welfare Team sponsored the wheelchair used in this event, allowing participants to personally experience the daily use of wheelchair transportation. We have found that even with barrier free access, there are still many problems and challenges. Problems such as unreasonable spatial layout and unclear guidance signs greatly increase the difficulty of wheelchair travel. In communication with wheelchair users, I have heard many heart wrenching experiences, such as a defect in the barrier free design of a bank ATM machine, which made it difficult for wheelchair users to operate smoothly. These real cases make us deeply feel that the construction of an accessible environment is a long and arduous task.
▲ Mutual Public Welfare Workers Challenge Barrier Free Areas ▲
The sign language challenge area is full of fun and challenges. The staff of the HuBang Public Welfare Team learned sign language vocabulary related to coffee shops, such as Americano, latte, cold brew coffee, etc. This experience has made us feel the inconvenience and hardship that people with hearing disabilities face in daily communication, as well as the joy and sense of achievement in learning sign language. Society should provide more care and understanding to the hearing-impaired community, so that they can integrate into society more confidently.
▲ Barrier free interactive market clip ▲
And in the area where the "Kaimai" aging friendly facility is located, the doubts and confusions of the elderly are written one by one on the sticky notes. Have you ever thought that as we age, our demand for accessible facilities will also increase? In fact, the expectation of accessibility is everyone's simplest and most essential hope and requirement for daily life - to achieve an independent and autonomous life. This coincides with the concept of mutual cooperation, which is committed to providing independent travel opportunities for people with mobility difficulties. Everyone also marked their residential areas on the map, hoping to care for the elderly through community-based approaches, so that they no longer feel lonely and helpless.
In our lives, disabled partners and elderly people in wheelchairs seem to rarely appear in the public eye. Where did they go? What trapped them at home? What kind of environment do they live in? How are our communities and cities excluding their participation? These issues are worth pondering deeply. Accessibility is not just a need for people with disabilities, it concerns everyone's quality of life. Have we truly considered the needs of everyone when designing cities and planning spaces? These experiences have made us realize that the improvement of accessible facilities not only enables people with disabilities to live better, but also benefits all those in need, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and families with children. The HuBang Public Welfare Team calls on everyone that social inclusiveness should not be just a slogan, but should be implemented in every detail. Let us work together to create an accessible, inclusive, and friendly social environment. Here, there is no lofty charity, sympathy, or gaze, only equality, respect, and understanding. Both 'us' and' them 'should not be confined to their homes, but should walk freely in this world full of love and warmth.
