Lawmakers call for reforms to accessibility law for barrier-free environment

Lawmakers Ho Ion Sang and Angela Leong have urged the government to reform the city’s current legal frameworks on accessibility.

In a separate written interpellation, Ho was critical of the city’s current regulations, noting that on September 1 last year, the mainland implemented a new law aimed at creating a barrier-free environment. This law in the mainland marked a step in safeguarding the rights of disadvantaged groups, providing a framework for enhancing accessibility across various public services.

“The existing Law No. 9/83/M, which aims to eliminate architectural barriers, has been in place in Macau for 40 years without amendment. It is outdated and primarily focuses on motor disabilities, neglecting the needs of those with visual and auditory impairments,” said Ho.

“Planning and designing a barrier-free environment must be integrated into the concept of universal design,” Ho insisted.

He highlighted that the current standards merely serve as guidelines without binding authority, which limit their effectiveness in ensuring accessibility in private developments. For the lawmaker, this does not meet the development needs of Macau nor does it align with national progress. On this basis, he urged the government to improve applicable legal frameworks.

“Will the government define a timeline for the creation of new legislation to establish a barrier-free environment?” he asked.

In response, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ao Ieong U, addressed the matter in a plenary session at the Legislative Assembly yesterday, noting that “architectural standards for designing universal and barrier-free projects” had already been incorporated into the design requirements for public works.

The evaluation and approval of private works always require compliance with the provisions of Law No. 9/83/M ( rules for the elimination of architectural barriers) by the public works authorities. However, compliance is currently voluntary for private works.

“In recent years, the SAR government has proposed and encouraged companies to meet the accessibility requirements of the standards in the design of large projects, including those that involve shopping centers and entertainment facilities. Active collaboration in their implementation has been achieved in this regard,” said Ao Ieong.

“Through the joint efforts of various public services and the sector, the number of public buildings and private construction projects that meet the necessary conditions has been progressively increasing, providing improved barrier-free facilities in accordance with the standards,” she added.

Ho also called for greater collaboration with private enterprises. “Regarding large establishments like shopping centers and integrated resorts, will authorities encourage owners to incorporate more barrier-free facilities during design or renovation?” Ho asked.

Echoing similar sentiments, lawmaker Leong stressed in her inquiry that creating a barrier-free environment is “a crucial measure to support the social integration of persons with disabilities and is an important hallmark for evaluating the civilization and progress of society.”

She recalled the city’s “Ten-Year Plan for Rehabilitation Services of the Macau Special Administrative Region from 2016 to 2025,” which includes 34 short, medium, and long-term projects related to barrier-free facilities for visually impaired persons in pedestrian areas.

However, Leong is critical on how these projects “only contain generic descriptions without any specific division of tasks or content.”

Back in September, the Commission of Audit released a critical report addressing significant shortcomings in the planning and execution of barrier-free pedestrian facilities for individuals with visual impairments in Macau. The report revealed substantial uncertainties regarding these initiatives, including unclear deadlines, project scope, and implementation details.

“Will the authorities consider reviewing these projects and presenting a more detailed, phased, and verifiable timeline to ensure clear instructions for the execution of each project? To enhance transparency and credibility in planning, will they also create a more concrete supervision and evaluation mechanism?” she questioned.

Ao Ieong then noted that the Steering Group for Planning Rehabilitation Services will “review the status of the execution of the plans and their implementation,” ensuring that the recommendations are acted upon.

The official added that the group is focusing on “planning and evaluation in terms of needs and effectiveness.” The goal is to establish a mechanism that improves “the monitoring of actual progress and effectiveness” of the plans.