disability

China’s Paralympians Storm to Top of Medal Table in Paris

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Team China has run up a huge lead during the opening days of the 2024 Paralympics after a string of record-breaking performances.

He Qitong

Learning to Walk — In an Exoskeleton

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Lü Xiao

Liu Zhuo’er

China Makes More Films Accessible for Blind People

Several of this year’s summer blockbusters include audio description for blind and visually impaired cinemagoers, as China’s film industry begins to embrace accessibility.

Li Xin

Li Miaoran

The Disabled Student Entrepreneur Swapping Toys for Tech

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

A student with brittle bone disease has launched a startup in eastern China to develop a smart exoskeleton that will allow him and others to walk.

Ding Rui

The Artist Monkeying Around With China’s Monkey King

Wu Huiyuan 

The Backbend: Why a Basic Dance Move Is Paralyzing Children in China

Commonly taught in dance studios, the backbend has been linked to a surge in severe spinal injuries among young girls across the country. This alarming trend has prompted widespread calls for better regulatory frameworks and more professional training methods.

How China’s People With Disabilities Are Confronting the Future of Work

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Can a social enterprise dedicated to employing people with disabilities point the way to a better future for all workers?

Cai Yiwen

How Visually Impaired Engineers Are Guiding China’s Accessibility Efforts

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

A team of partially sighted software programmers in Shenzhen is improving information accessibility by helping developers eliminate the many obstacles facing disabled users.

Shanghai Observer

At China Expo, a Next-Gen Prosthetic Knee Offers New Hope

Equipped with a microprocessor, a motor, and multiple sensors, Össur’s Power Knee adapts to users’ movements in real time. But its price will remain a hurdle for many.

Sixth Tone

As Live Music Booms in China, Disabled Fans Call for More Inclusion

The return of large-scale pop concerts has sparked huge excitement in China over recent months. But fans with disabilities still face serious barriers to accessing the events — and they’re calling for change.

Xu Cen

Ni Dandan

The Father-Son Duo Winning Over China’s Marathon Scene

Inspired by marathoner Dick Hoyt, who ran together with his disabled son, a Chinese courier and his son have taken the running world by storm.

The Paper

World Book Day: A Bookstore for the Blind

Backlight 226 has become the go-to spot for visually impaired reading enthusiasts in Shanghai.

Yang Caini

Shanghai Eases Driving License Process for Deaf Drivers 

The city opened its first driving school and a designated physical exam center for the hearing impaired wanting to obtain a permit.

Online Influencer With Disability Hits Back at Trolls

Attacks against the earthquake survivor come amid a growing spate of online violence.

Ye Zhanhang

China’s First Deaf Lawyer Beat The Odds. Now, She’s Giving Back.

There still isn’t a system in place for Tan Ting to argue in court so she works on spreading legal awareness among the deaf. In China, that’s equally important.

Seeing for the Sightless

On a mobile app that connects the whole world, volunteers lend their eyes to the visually impaired, who in return give their ears to offer soothing comfort.

Beijing Youth Daily

Shanghai Codifies Accessible Infrastructure for the Old, Disabled

Shanghai joins capital Beijing in constructing a more barrier-free environment for people with special needs.

A Beijing Theater Is Committed to Screening Movies for the Blind

Reckoning Theater has organized over 1,000 screenings since its opening in 2004.

Star Snowboarder Su Yiming Becomes New Special Olympics Ambassador

The Special Olympics Committee hopes Su’s star power will help change social attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities in China.

Jiang Xinyi

Disabled Man in Chinese Countryside Inspires Disillusioned Youth

A viral video of a 66-year-old man’s life story of him overcoming the odds has left millions of viewers reflecting.