Marriage registration office provides documents in Braille for the first time in China

For the first time in the country, a couple with visual impairments were offered Braille and large-print versions of marriage registration notices and marriage vows when they registered for marriage in Xicheng district of Beijing.

Husband Wang Guang and his wife Zhang Yu both suffer from visual impairment and rely on "dot displays" to read through touch, the state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

When they went to the marriage registration office of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Xicheng, staff members opened a convenient channel and provided Braille and large-print versions of marriage registration notices and marriage vows for them.

"In the past, when people with visual disabilities registered for marriage, the staff members read the marriage registration documents for them. This time, they "read" the documents and took the oath by themselves, which gave them a greater sense of experience, happiness and belonging," said Wang Xing, director of the marriage registration office.

Providing marriage registration documents in accessible formats is part of the efforts to implement the law on construction of a barrier-free living environment, which took effect on Sept 1, 2023, as well as to protect legitimate rights and interests of people with visual disabilities.

As the nation's specific law on building a barrier-free living environment, it clarifies that Chinese Common Braille shall be used in basic public services.

To ensure the quality and authority of marriage registration documents in accessible formats, the marriage registration office has collaborated with the China Braille Press to make Braille and large-print versions of marriage registration notices and vows.