Tape measure in hand, architect and wheelchair user Zhang Yi enters the accessible restroom of a public park in Beijing, extending the metallic strip to confirm the height of a grab bar installed beside the toilet.
"One meter," he reads aloud, shaking his head. "The standard is 90 centimeters. Ten centimeters may not sound like much, but when I try to stand up, it makes all the difference."
For 55-year-old Zhang, who is a licensed architect and has been using a wheelchair since he was a child, every centimeter matters. Years of professional training have taught him to obsess over precision, and years of navigating life in a wheelchair have taught him how easily a small design flaw can turn into a daily obstacle.
He has witnessed the tremendous progress the country has made in building a barrier-free environment alongside its rapid economic growth over the decades, and he is hopeful that all facilities will one day meet the standards to truly benefit people with accessibility challenges.
He began his own problem-finding campaign in 2019, and his efforts received a significant boost in 2023, when a law on building barrier-free living environments was promulgated.
The legislation, the formulation of which solicited opinions from more than 50,000 people with disabilities and elderly citizens, aims to ensure that they can participate and be included equally, fully and conveniently in everyday life.
Observers say the legislation took effect at a critical time as the country, home to more than 85 million people with disabilities, entered an era of demographic transition. China had more than 320 million people aged 60 or above by the end of 2025, accounting for over one-fifth of the population.
For Zhang, the law provides legal backing for him to intensify his efforts. "A law matters only when it is enforced," he says. "With the legislation, there are finally teeth."
Amid the short-video boom on social media, the architect films his inspections, edits them into short clips, and posts them online. In these videos, he reads numbers aloud with clinical calm. From grab bars to ramp gradients, nothing escapes his eye.
Zhang's words and actions show a strong sense of responsibility. "Among disabled people, I am the one who knows architectural standards the best," he says, stressing that he always keeps national standards in mind.
At first, Zhang's videos drew little attention. But gradually, his audience grew. To date, he has posted more than 200 videos, gaining cumulative views of about 12.5 million.
