Armless man told to produce certificate to prove disability at subway station in China, operator apologises

Armless man had to buy ticket & use foot to enter subway in China

Ordinarily, disabled individuals would be entitled to a free ride and barrier-free access when taking the subway in China.

However, a man who had quite obviously lost both his arms was told that he had to produce a certificate to prove his disability.

The subway operator has apologised for the incident, admitting that its staff failed to handle the situation properly.

Armless man confirms disability certificate is needed on China subway

A video of the incident was posted last Thursday (21 March) over Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, by Mr Li Fengqiang, a former Paralympic swimmer.

It starts with him in conversation with a staff member of the Wuhan Metro, confirming that visual evidence of his lack of arms wasn’t enough to prove that he had a disability.

Another staff member subsequently offers to buy a ticket for him on a personal basis, but he declines, saying he can afford to buy a ticket for himself.

He then pointed out that besides, someone like him with no arms would find it difficult to wield a disability certificate.

Staff says they have to verify person is disabled

Despite his protestations, the station staff stood firm, asserting that they had to verify his credentials before allowing him through.

The rules are stated clearly, the staff member said, though they weren’t created by them.

Mr Li then asked what the rules were for and the staff member replied:

To prove that a person is disabled.

To that, the armless man asked whether this would be true even in cases where the person is quite obviously disabled and facing substantial mobility issues.

‘Unreasonable’ & ‘inhumane’ rules would shatter confidence of the disabled: Man

Mr Li then took the chance to mention that some disabled people might be feeling vulnerable and unwilling to participate in society.

Such “unreasonable” and “inhumane” rules would shatter their confidence when they have just tried to re-enter society, he said.

This may cause them to withdraw from the world, he added.

He said a disabled person might have summoned a lot of courage to go out just once, but such a barrier may lead him to cut himself off forever, determining the rest of his life.

Turning to the camera, Mr Li lamented that the rules that were meant to help disabled people have ironically put up obstacles and caused inconvenience to them.

Since the “system is dead”, he pontificated, shouldn’t we be more compassionate and let disabled people enjoy true barrier-free access?

Armless man uses foot to enter China subway

Eventually, Mr Li bought his own ticket.

Nimbly balancing on one leg, he inserted a coin into the gantry with his right foot to get through it.

According to a feature by the Suizhou Municipal Government on Weibo, Mr Li had both his arms amputated at the age of eight after suffering an electric shock.

Despite the disability, he learnt to swim and became a national Paralympic athlete, winning championships in swimming competitions at home and abroad.

Netizens have mixed reactions to video

Mr Li’s video has received about 55,000 views and more than 3,600 shares.

It drew mixed reactions from netizens, with one of the commenters saying there were “two levels” to the issue. While being humane is a matter of course, it doesn’t mean all disabled people have a certificate, they said.

A user responded, “Does that mean I can get a student concession ticket just by carrying a schoolbag?” To which another user replied that disabilities can be observed from one’s appearance, unlike one’s status as a student.

A number of netizens were unsympathetic, saying rules should be followed and he should have brought his certificate. They also said it was good enough that station staff offered to buy him a ticket.

Others also defended the staff, saying they were just following instructions and didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Some did approve of Mr Li’s points in the video, though, saying that he was speaking up for disabled people and how they would have felt.

Wuhan Metro apologises for inconvenience

In response to the controversy, Wuhan Metro issued a statement on Weibo last Friday (22 March).

It said that a disabled passenger was unable to pass through the special lane on 18 March, causing him to be inconvenienced.

The subway operator apologised for the incident, acknowledging that its employees’ on-site management of the situation was inadequate and failed to ensure the travel rights of people with disabilities.

Wuhan Metro “humbly accepted” netizens’ supervision and corrections, it added.

It pledged to continue to prioritise service for commuters with special needs and welcomed supervision from the public.

Also read: MRT & Bus Passengers With ‘Invisible’ Conditions Can Get Card & Lanyard To Find Seats

MRT & Bus Passengers With ‘Invisible’ Conditions Can Get Card & Lanyard To Find Seats

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Featured image adapted from Li Fengqiang on Douyin.