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Arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport you could be fooled into believing that the city is very accommodating to residents with disabilities; facilities are good and staff are friendly. But once you enter the city itself, the helpful smiles soon disappear, along with the lifts and ramps. Although the government, in the run up to the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, has added dropped kerbs and ramps around Beijing, they are often too steep for wheelchair access. What’s more, the tactile pavements that can now be found in most districts are littered with concrete posts, bits of wire and parked motorbikes, making them minefields for the visually impaired. In a similar vein, many tourist attractions have been made to look accessible. The Forbidden City, for example, is one of the few places to show the International Disability Access sign. Go inside, however, and you’ll discover steps and a lack of ramps. Newer subway stations (particularly on Line 5) have lifts, but many older stops don’t even have escalators. And although government regulations now insist on making buildings wheelchair accessible, they are not always enforced.