Platforms strengthen protection for vulnerable groups in extreme weather

LANZHOU — After rainstorm-triggered floods ravaged Henan province recently, a video circulating online has made people more aware of the extra difficulties faced by the disabled during natural disasters.

The video shows several methods and platforms designed to make it easier for the hearing impaired to seek help in emergencies, such as websites for translating sign language online, voice-to-text software and short-message alarms.

The video was created by Du Yinling, a sign language instructor in Beijing. She said that hearing-impaired people, including herself, are more helpless than other people when facing a flood.

They cannot communicate with others through written words during such emergencies, and their cochlear implants and other hearing aids may be easily damaged by water, Du said.

“They may miss out on rescue operations due to their inability to speak or hear,” she said.

Last year, the 34-year-old uploaded a survival guide for the disabled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her latest video has garnered more than 16 million views on social media.

“We should not forget people with disabilities. They face more difficulties than us,” one microblogger said in response to the video. “No one should be left behind.”

Zheng Yutong, a 19-year-old with cerebral palsy, shared the video on the WeChat social media platform and called for more attention to be paid to barrier-free services for the disabled.

“When facing a sudden disaster, those who cannot see or hear might not receive warning information in time, those with intellectual or mental disabilities may not understand the meaning of warnings, and those with physical disabilities may not be able to evacuate in a timely manner,” she said.

China has 85 million disabled people, Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, told a news conference in Beijing recently.

Mobile applications have played a vital role in helping the disabled survive disasters. For example, Voice of Hand, an application targeting the hearing-impaired, launched free assistance on July 21 for users affected by heavy rains.

The app provides two types of services. One is “call on behalf”, which can help people make phone calls and send messages for help, and the other is an online translation service helping them to communicate with people who do not understand their sign language.

When facing a sudden disaster, those who cannot see or hear might not receive warning information in time, those with intellectual or mental disabilities may not understand the meaning of warnings, and those with physical disabilities may not be able to evacuate in a timely manner.”

Zheng Yutong, a 19-year-old with cerebral palsy