Editor's note: Timothy Kerswell, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a research fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). He lived in Macao for seven years, working as an assistant professor at the University of Macao. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The fourth Asian Para Games kicks off today in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The games bring together more than 3000 athletes across 22 different sports and witness the introduction of two new sports in the form of para-canoeing and para-taekwondo. The games put the spotlight on the issue of disability in Asia, a region where well over 700 million people live with disabilities. Unfortunately, disability is still one of the key sociological markers that make it significantly more likely that a person will experience poverty, malnourishment, or other forms of social disadvantage. It is a sad fact that only 12 countries in the whole of the Asia Pacific region have passed anti-discrimination legislation for disability.

China has demonstrated leadership on this issue and is one of the few countries in the world where disability rights are addressed as part of the constitution which was framed in 1982. Article 45 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China states that "the state and society shall assist arrangements for the work, livelihood, and education of citizens who are blind, deaf, mute or have other disabilities." This law is comprehensive and covers rehabilitation, education, employment, cultural life, and social security. It signals that "persons with disabilities shall enjoy equal rights with other citizens in political, economic, cultural and social respects and family life as well."

Beyond high-level laws like the constitution and major national laws, a white paper by the State Council Information Office noted that China has published over 90 laws and 50 administrative regulations concerning the protection of the rights and interests of people with disabilities. The success of the Hangzhou Games and China's efforts can only have a positive impact on disability issues throughout Asia.

Despite these barriers, the observers of the games will witness some incredible athletic displays in Hangzhou. What this demonstrates is that disability is usually a social question. If government and society support disabled people, they can achieve tremendous things, even when overcoming physical barriers. At the games, we can expect a great performance from China's athletes. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, China's athletes earned 207 medals, 96 of them gold which was substantially better than the second-placed contender the United Kingdom (124 medals, 41 gold). This was China's best performance at the Paralympics. China has doubled the number of athletes since the 2018 Asian Para Games, bringing 439 competitors to the games in Hangzhou in a sign that China's social policy on disability is in a good place.

In this sense, the Hangzhou games are a showcase of the effects of China's disability policy. The city of Hangzhou has become a barrier-free city for the duration of the games and in doing so has drawn society's attention toward the issue of barriers and access in a way that will refocus the efforts of city planners. In the past three years, the city has renovated and upgraded 140,000 barrier-free spots, as well as 75 urban roads, more than 3,000 kilometers of visual impairment roads, 50 urban pedestrian bridges and tunnels, and more than 1,600 accessible public toilets. There's even a designated outdoor rest space for guide dogs which includes a rain shelter.

These public facilities point to the importance of events like the games, which focus the attention of society and its planners on social transformation. The games provided an important catalyst for Hangzhou to begin its journey toward a barrier-free city. This in turn creates awareness more broadly about the issues of access and equity in our society.

While policymakers in China will be the first to tell you that there is a long way to go on the issues of disability, the Hangzhou games serve as an important reminder of just how much progress China has been able to make and just how much progress the world could make with the right amount of planning and resources, and an inclusive frame of mind.