Tech assisting people with disabilities

The new wave of technological advancements is offering a ray of hope to people with disabilities in China and turning cutting-edge science into real-world help, a senior official said on Monday.

Zhou Changkui, president of the executive board of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, made the remarks at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

He said that whether invasive or noninvasive, the industry now agrees that the primary application of brain-computer interface, or BCI, technology is regarded as medical treatment and rehabilitation.

He also pointed to the cochlear implant, which has already aided numerous hearing-impaired children in China to hear, as proof that mature technology can deliver results.

"We hope for more breakthroughs that truly let those who are visually impaired see, those who are hearing impaired hear, and those who cannot stand, stand up," he said.

To turn that hope into reality, in 2025 the federation joined forces with nine central government bodies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, to issue a national guideline on technology-assisted disability services.

"Moving forward, we will stay demand-driven: identify what different groups with disabilities need in terms of technology, concentrate innovation resources, and avoid any disconnect between R&D and real needs," he said.

Zhou highlighted that compared to able-bodied people, people with disabilities have both common and unique technological needs. The differences are even greater across different disability types.

As a result, the federation plans to focus on their real needs in areas such as healthcare, rehabilitation, employment, and accessibility, to ensure that R&D resources are allocated precisely where they are needed. Throughout this process, people with disabilities will be involved at every stage, to ensure the products are practical and well-adapted, he added.

In a targeted move to push innovation into the real world, the federation this year published its list of application scenarios for assistive technology at a forum held alongside the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing.

The list includes accessible ride-hailing for wheelchair users, smart rehabilitation devices that integrate noninvasive BCIs, and smart navigation for the visually impaired.

"Guide dogs are too expensive and too scarce to meet the overwhelming demand from people with visual impairments. The alternative may soon come from a range of technological routes such as smart guide robots, smart guide canes and smart guide glasses.

"I believe they will bring real benefits in the near future," Zhou said.

Getting those devices into people's hands will require more than engineering.

Zhou added that the federation plans to enhance publicity campaigns to ensure that people with disabilities are aware of what is becoming available, and to bring more assistive products into the subsidy system to drive down costs.

"These measures will ensure that the latest science and technology better serves people with disabilities," he said.