Blind roads are ＂bought out＂？ How can barrier-free access be invaded？

□ Ding Jiafa

On May 28th, employees of a shopping mall in Nanning, Guangxi said that they would buy out the blind road at the entrance of the shopping mall and block it with stone piers, which caused concern. On the 28th, a disabled man in Nanning, Guangxi, sent a video saying that the barrier-free passage in front of Chaoyang Square in Nanning Times was blocked by the isolation pier placed by the property company, and it has not been removed after many reflections. The shopping mall involved responded that the staff said that it was a mistake to buy the blind road and would criticize and educate it. The shopping mall did not buy the blind road. The community to which the mall belongs responded that there had been an accident when the stone pier was not placed. Considering the potential safety hazard, the stone pier was placed to prohibit vehicles from entering. (May 29, Beijing News)

The blind road is a road specially designed to help blind people walk. It is a barrier-free facility, but it is blocked by stone piers. The employees of the shopping mall involved even claimed that the blind road has been "bought out", which is incredible. However, management is not a "buy-out", and you can’t take the blind road for yourself and do whatever you want. The author believes that barrier-free access can not be invaded, and the safety hazard is not a "shield" for stone piers to block blind roads. Relevant staff and managers must correct their wrong thinking, not only take measures to eliminate safety hazards, but also ensure that barrier-free facilities such as blind roads are unimpeded according to law, so as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of disabled people.

The community staff introduced that after receiving the complaint from the disabled man, the staff had gone to the scene to investigate. According to the feedback from the property company, the building in Times Chaoyang Square is a commercial and residential building, and many residents walk and play badminton in the square. When there was no stone pier on the blind road before, bike-sharing and battery cars often occupied the passage, and cars came in to park, which was easy to conflict with residents’ activities, which was neither safe nor beautiful. A signboard was placed next to the stone pier. If disabled people need to pass, they can call the number on the signboard and pass with the help of the staff. In other words, stone piers are used to block the blind road in order to prevent vehicles from entering the square for parking and eliminate potential safety hazards. This kind of rhetoric seems to have some truth.

However, the stone piers are placed on the blind road, where can the visually impaired people see them, let alone call the notice board for help? They walk on the blind road blocked by the stone piers, and if they are not careful, they will bump into or trip over the stone piers, which is simply a "trip-over", but it will increase the potential safety hazard. In fact, blind roads, as barrier-free facilities, cannot be arbitrarily disposed of and changed for use. Article 28 of the Law on the Construction of Barrier-free Environment in People’s Republic of China (PRC) stipulates that no unit or individual may change the use of barrier-free facilities without authorization or illegally occupy or damage barrier-free facilities. If barrier-free facilities are temporarily occupied due to special circumstances, guardrails, warning signs or signal facilities shall be announced and set up, and necessary alternative measures shall be taken. When the temporary occupation expires, it shall be restored to its original state in time. It can be seen that placing stone piers on blind roads is an illegal act that is not allowed by law and should be corrected and rectified.

The blind road is the "eye" that guides the visually impaired to move forward. Of course, there is no stone pier in the "eye". On the one hand, the property companies involved and relevant managers should enhance their awareness of the rule of law, move away from the stone pier as soon as possible to restore the original state of the blind road, and make this barrier-free passage unimpeded all the way; On the other hand, we can strengthen the order management of squares and nearby roads in conjunction with urban management, traffic police and other departments, add some traffic signs, regulate the orderly parking of vehicles in specified positions, put an end to disorderly parking and blocking barrier-free passages such as blind roads, so as to eliminate all kinds of safety hazards, which can not only ensure the safety of the general public, but also make the travel safety of disabled people. In this way, the nonsense like "buying out" the blind road, and the absurd things that occupy and block the blind road will not happen again.

Some barrier-free facilities such as blind roads have been changed or illegally occupied, which has become a common phenomenon in many cities. City managers and relevant units should strengthen supervision and punishment from the perspective of caring for the disabled, not only to further promote the construction of barrier-free facilities, but also to manage, use and maintain them well, so as to create a good atmosphere for the whole society to care for the disabled and make their travel more convenient and safe.