China uses technology to improve lives of people with disabilities

August 25 marks the ninth National Disability Prevention Day in China. In recent years, technology has not only transformed daily life but also significantly improved the quality of life for people with disabilities in the country.

China has been making continuous efforts to enhance the well-being of people with disabilities. In 2025, the CMG Spring Festival Gala, for the first time, launched accessible broadcasts for visually and hearing-impaired viewers, allowing everyone to share in the cultural feast. The hearing-impaired version incorporated AR virtual technology, while the visually impaired version applied audio creation, large-format braille, and tactile graphics display technologies.

People with disabilities represent a vital application scenario for scientific innovation. Many cutting-edge technologies have found practical uses in rehabilitation, including bionic prosthetic hands, six-legged guide robots, and AI-assisted mobility devices.

At the 34th National Day for Helping the Disabled last May, China's Disabled Persons' Federation highlighted a series of innovative technologies already in wide use that are helping improve quality of life.

One example is AI-assisted exoskeleton robots, developed by a research team at Beihang University. These devices combine AI with robotics to provide effective rehabilitation training for people with lower-limb disabilities, enabling them to walk more easily. Capable of recognizing a user's movement intentions and adjusting gait in real time, these exoskeletons have already been adopted by hundreds of hospitals nationwide.

A team at Changping Laboratory has independently developed a brain circuit pacemaker, which uses real-time precision visual navigation and 3D facial recognition technologies to target specific brain functions. This technology offers new possibilities for improving conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke-related paralysis, and speech disorders.

China's accessibility drive has also accelerated following the implementation of the Barrier-Free Environment Construction Law. More than 3,000 websites and mobile apps have undergone accessibility upgrades, adding features such as speech recognition and text conversion.

Increasing numbers of TV programs now feature subtitles and sign language interpretation. Accessible navigation services cover 69 cities, emergency calling platforms for the hearing-impaired have been launched in multiple regions, and smart public transport systems are being rolled out.

At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on July 22, an official from the China Disabled Persons' Federation said that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the federation will further advance the innovative application of technology to assist people with disabilities. Efforts will be made to apply cutting-edge technologies such as AI in the disability field, and to promote new assistive technologies and industries such as brain-computer interfaces.

The focus will be on both understanding the needs of people with disabilities and driving technological innovation so that scientific development benefits more people with disabilities.