The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ("MIIT") and the China Disabled Persons' Federation ("CDPF") have recently issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting Information Accessibility (the "Opinions").
The Opinions clarify the targets including "establishing a sound information accessibility product service system and standard system by the end of 2025", and stipulate 20 major tasks such as encouraging the launch of preferential measures for telecom charges and encouraging research, development and accessible transformation of information accessibility terminal equipment in seven aspects including accelerating the promotion of convenient and inclusive telecom services. Among others, the Opinions propose that efforts shall be made to promote the integration of key technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and the Internet of Things in the field of information accessibility and the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and support the practical applications of emerging technologies in blind guiding, voice control, body control, graphic recognition, voice recognition, and voice synthesis. The Opinions also require accelerating the development of the smart elderly care industry, promoting the organic integration of social elderly care, home-based elderly care and information accessibility, and encouraging the research, development and production of wearable or portable monitoring, home-based elderly care and other intelligent elderly care devices.