This Day, That Year: Aug 14

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

In 1991, the country's first tactile paving was put into use in Beijing as seen in the item from Aug 14, 1991, in China Daily.

The path stretched 1.6 kilometers in the downtown area.

Tactile paving is a system of textured surfaces which allow the visually impaired to navigate their way.

There are more than 1,600 km of such paving in the capital.

In 2001, the central government passed a law requiring tactile paving to be built along major streets in cities.

However, many "blind lanes" on sidewalks often have discarded bicycles or other obstacles.

And some of the surface indicators were clearly designed to look decorative rather than practical and user-friendly to those who need them.

Local authorities in many cities including Tianjin and Shanghai have realized the problem and taken measures to remedy the situation.

According to a 2012 survey conducted by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, only one-third of supposedly accessible facilities in Beijing accorded with international standards, and almost 70 percent of disabled people nationwide voiced discontent with the level of access to public spaces.

In 2012, the central government implemented a regulation to guarantee construction of barrier-free public facilities.

There are nearly 85 million Chinese registered with disabilities, accounting for 6.3 percent of the population.

In Beijing, barrier-free buses and taxis are also available.

Braille signboards and route maps have also been placed to meet the needs of the visually impaired.

Wheelchair facilities have also been installed at subway stations.