Taiwanese singer Zheng Zhihua, best known for his 1990s hits “Sailor” and “Star Lighting,” posted a complaint on Sina Weibo on October 25, accusing a Shenzhen airport of being “inhumane to disabled people.” Zheng, who has used a wheelchair since contracting polio at 2 years old, claimed that a 25-centimeter gap between the lift platform and the aircraft door at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport in Guangdong Province left him no choice but to “roll and crawl into the plane.” He also criticized the lift-platform driver for failing to assist him.
The post quickly went viral. Some netizens, however, accused Zheng of exaggeration after CCTV footage showed he was assisted by a ground staff member and a crew member. Many disabled netizens shared their own difficulties navigating public facilities, from airports and trains to subways and public toilets.
Shenzhen Baoan issued an apology within nine hours, promising improvements to its accessibility measures. On October 27, Zheng apologized for using “excessively dramatic wording,” explaining that his goal was to raise awareness about accessibility issues.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China has 87 million people with physical disabilities. The incident has directed public attention to the lack of barrier-free infrastructure across the country, prompting calls from experts, media and the public for concrete improvements and greater empathy toward people with disabilities.
Old Version
