The first government-funded community library for visually impaired people opened in the Xicheng District of Beijing on the eve of the National Day for the Handicapped, which falls on May 19.

Located on the first floor of Xicheng Library, the library consists of a stack room with books in braille, a reading room and a room for audio material, and a recitation room.

The library has special facilities for visually impaired people, including a specially constructed walkway inside and outside the library, special printers and portable computers.

Li Weihong, vice-president of the Beijing Municipal Association for the Handicapped, described the library as a symbol of how the community cares about visually impaired people.

He said better learning conditions for the disabled will help enrich their lives and make them more useful members of society.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2002)