A public tussle between a famous, disabled singer and one of China’s largest airports has reignited attention to public accessibility issues in China.

In an online post on Saturday, Taiwanese pop singer Cheng Chih-hua lashed out at Shenzhen Airport in southern China for failing to provide accessible boarding services. Cheng has been paralyzed from the waist down since contracting polio at the age of 2.

According to the 63-year-old singer, a “25-centimeter” height difference between the boarding vehicle and the plane made it impossible for him to roll his wheelchair directly into the cabin. He called the airport’s attitude toward people with disabilities “inhumane” and said he had to “crawl and roll (his body)” onto the plane after staff refused to adjust the lift.

The airport issued an apology the same day, explaining that because all jet bridges were occupied by other flights, the airport employed a boarding vehicle for Cheng and other passengers with disabilities. It added that the 20-centimeter gap between the vehicle and the plane is required according to airport regulations to prevent damage to the plane caused by movement during boarding and cargo loading. It acknowledged the difficulty this poses for wheelchair users, adding that ground staff and crew members assisted Cheng in boarding safely.

In the same statement, the airport pledged to prioritize providing jet bridge access for wheelchair-bound passengers. For flights without bridge access, it said it would increase the number of staff assisting wheelchair users from one to two. A ramp will also be deployed to address height differences between the lift, jet bridge, and aircraft door.

But public sentiment shifted from outrage on Cheng’s behalf to dwindling support of the singer after the airport released footage showing two staff and two flight attendants assisting Cheng onto the plane, with no evidence of the singer having to resort to crawling or rolling into the cabin, in contrast to his previous claims. 

Online, critics said Cheng exaggerated the situation, using his influence as a public figure to bully the staff who assisted him. Supporters, however, said the issue was ultimately not about how Cheng boarded the plane, but whether he was treated with dignity during the process, citing the humiliation of differential treatment.

Facing public backlash, Cheng apologized Monday, saying his remarks were made “in a moment of anger,” and that he hoped they would not negatively affect airport staff. He added that the public attention the incident brought to the rights of minority groups was more important than his personal experience.

The incident has sparked a nationwide online debate over accessibility and support for people with disabilities in public spaces. An estimated 85 million people live with physical or mental disabilities in China, or 6.34% of the total population, according to the most recent data available from the state-run China Disabled Persons’ Federation.

The existing facilities are still insufficient to meet the demands of all individuals, as implementation varies across the country. A 2024 study collecting 926 travel data entries from 10 wheelchair user volunteers in Beijing found that they often encountered problems such as narrow pathways and poorly designed ramps.

China has in recent years stepped up efforts to increase public transport accessibility. Major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, have begun making public buses wheelchair-friendly, installing lower floors relative to the ground outside and ramps. Meanwhile, new subway stations and airports increasingly include wheelchair-accessible elevators and restrooms, as well as tactile paving to support visually impaired individuals.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Left: The singer Cheng chih-hua; right: Cheng being assisted by Shenzhen Airport staff while boarding the plane. From Weibo)