Performing inclusion: tactile paving and the politics of accessibility in urban China

This study investigates the widespread installation of tactile paving as a form of inclusive urban infrastructure in China, analysing how state-led accessibility initiatives shape the social understanding of visual disability. Drawing on in-depth interviews and focus group discussion with 26 visually impaired individuals, the research uncovers a disjuncture between the symbolic promise of accessibility and the practical realities of navigation. Rather than functioning primarily as mobility aids, tactile pavings operate as markers of governmental commitment to inclusion, producing a public narrative of care and modernity. The top-down implementation marginalises the voices of the visually impaired, portraying them as dependent rather than active participants in accessibility governance. Public campaigns further perpetuate stereotypes of dependency, shifting attention from genuine challenges to performative inclusion. These normative framings further generate feelings of guilt and self-doubt regarding their everyday mobility choices. This study highlights how seemingly inclusive infrastructure can inadvertently reinforce ableist norms.