On November 23, the launching ceremony of CDPF (China Disabled Persons’ Federation) - Fudan Barrier-Free Environment Research Base & Symposium on Building Barrier-Free Environment was held at Fudan. The “Fudan Consensus, Shanghai Initiative”, an initiative on universal barrier-free environment construction was also released at the ceremony.
To build barrier-free environments contributes to a healthier social eco-system by improving the well-being of each and every citizen and promoting social stability and sustainability, which also plays an essential role in the “Healthy China 2030” Planning Outline. The research base will serve as a think tank that conceptualizes multifaceted approaches to building barrier-free environments in China in response to the legitimate need for mobility and convenience of the people with disabilities, while the Initiative calls for the public awareness of the construction of barrier-free environments.
The Initiative restated the importance of setting standards for building barrier-free environments. The standards, aiming to meet the demands of the people with disabilities, must be a comprehensive and applicable guideline for the government and all the stakeholders. It should take all the aspects of life into consideration, especially in terms of information-sharing and unbiased employment. In addition, the emphasis should also be put on compiling accessible textbooks, training professionals and building barrier-free public facilities.
Vice Chair of CDPF Lv Shiming said that the research base and symposium provided a platform for high-level research and practice of building barrier-free environments. People of this generation should take on the great responsibility by keeping in mind the need of the people with disabilities and learning from home and abroad. Every voice should be heard so that a truly accessible society for people with disabilities would become a reality.
Gui Yonghao, Vice President of Fudan University and Dean of Shanghai Medical College, said that Fudan would, as always, support scholars to carry out research concerning the construction of barrier-free environments. He looked forward to more innovative achievements being applied to the construction of barrier-free environment. Government, industry, education, and research should be integrated to ensure effective governance of barrier-free environments. He hoped that the research base would be recognized as a pioneer in constructing China’s barrier-free environment for its first-class management, achievements and talents in the near future.Shao Lei, Executive Dean of Institute for Accessibility Development of Tsinghua University offered congratulations on behalf of his Institute, and presented the “National Barrier-free Strategic Research and Application” book series as a gift to the research base.
The dialogue session was presided over by the director of China Research Center on Disability at Fudan University, Prof. Lv Jun, whose research team, has been devoted to the study of public health focusing on vulnerable groups since 2002. In 2015, China Research Center on Disability at Fudan University was officially founded, focusing on health management of people with disabilities.
Lv said that the construction of an accessible environment was crucial for improving the living conditions of people with disabilities and promoting social integration. To build an enabling environment that is universally applicable requires joint efforts of universities, research institutes, charitable organizations, etc. She hoped that CDPF-Fudan University Barrier-Free Environment Research Base could work with other domestic platforms, together encouraging the construction and development of barrier-free environment in China.
In recent years, Fudan University has been promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in the construction of barrier-free environment. Disciplines such as Health Policy and Management, Management Science and Public Health of Fudan University have provided technical support for accessible environment research.
