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Public-service project in China helps visually impaired people ‘see’ movies

Published

3 years ago

March 27, 2023

By Shi Fang, Yu Feiyang

“‘See’ the colors of the world through sounds, and enjoy the beauty of art by listening. Welcome to the ‘Ever Shining Cinema’. Today we are going to present to you The Wandering Earth…”

It was the opening remarks made by a volunteer of “Ever Shining Cinema”, a public-service project aimed at interpreting movies for visually impaired people, at a movie activity held in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

With her eyes closed and head slightly raised, Ma Deli from Dechang county, Xichang city, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture of southwest China’s Sichuan province, listened to the narration for the movie attentively. She didn’t want to miss any detail.

When hearing a thrilling episode, she clutched the armrests nervously.

Ma runs a blind massage parlor. She seldom went out after she completely lost her sight, let alone to the movies.

When she heard that the association of persons with visual disabilities in Sichuan province would show a barrier-free movie, Ma immediately decided to approve a day off to “see” the movie with the staff.

The barrier-free movie was prepared by a team of volunteers of the “Ever Shining Cinema” project initiated by the Communication University of China (CUC). The team has handled every link from the production to the screening of the barrier-free movie.

Founded nearly five years ago, the project has recorded volunteers of more than 500 CUC teachers and students. They have produced over 500 barrier-free movies of various genres, including animation, science fiction, as well as realistic and historical movies.

So far, the “Ever Shining Cinema” project has held public-service activities and promotions in China’s 31 provincial-level regions, and brought barrier-free movies and TV shows to 2,244 special education schools across the country.

Research suggests that able-bodied people perceive up to 80 percent of all impressions by means of their sight. However, there are more than 17 million people with visual impairment in China. How to make movies, which mainly relied on light and color, understood by visually impaired people was the first problem the project had to solve.

At first, teachers at the CUC wanted to use sound editing to narrate the movie in about half an hour. The idea was abandoned after in-depth discussions among members of the volunteer team.

“Audiences usually enjoy a movie in a cinema, where they can feel the ups and downs of the story. People with visual impairment should also be able to enjoy a movie like that,” said Zhao Xijing, associate researcher at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, CUC.

At last, the “Ever Shining Cinema” decided to add detailed descriptions of the movie scenes during the intervals of the original dialogues and sounds, explaining the scenes and the emotions and meanings behind them.

“The name of the project, ‘Ever Shining Cinema’, means helping people with visual impairment seek light and gain hope,” said Fu Haizheng, deputy head of the research institute for barrier-free communication of the CUC.

“Barrier-free movies don’t merely describe movie scenes. More importantly, they help people with visual impairment understand the meanings of the scenes. It takes great effort to present an audio feast,” said Hu Fang, a postgraduate at the CUC.

“We watch every scene of a movie more than 10 times before we can convert it into a narrative script. We need to pause a movie at least 3,000 times to make a barrier-free version of it,” said Li Yiying, a doctoral student at the CUC who participated in the production.

The production process includes such links as the selection of movies, narrative writing, review and revision of script, recording, editing and sound mixing. According to Li, it takes more than a month to produce a barrier-free version of a 2-hour movie, and the narrative script usually contains more than 20,000 Chinese characters.

In addition to the production, thoughtful services for the special audience should be prepared at the venues where the movie activities are held.

In an effort to provide a good movie experience, volunteers of the “Ever Shining Cinema” project pay close attention to every detail.

They walk the entire route several times and make a thorough work plan before every movie activity, considering the convenient drop-off points for visually impaired people and noticing obstacles they might encounter along the way.

When a barrier-free version of the movie Operation Red Sea was presented at a cinema in Chaoyang district of Beijing, more than 100 volunteers formed a 100-meter-long passage with their bodies to ensure the safety of the audience. Visually impaired viewers were guided all the way from where they got off to their seats.

Thanks to the “Ever Shining Cinema” project, many people with visual impairment got the first movie ticket in their lives. Their movie tickets are specially designed and printed.

“When I saw them carefully fondling the movie tickets and laughing or shedding tears during a movie, I knew all our efforts were worthwhile,” said Li Chaopeng, a doctoral student at the CUC.

“Volunteers’ narration has brought us the infinite charm of movies and enabled people with visual impairment to enjoy public cultural services,” said He Chuan, deputy head of China Association of Persons with Visual Disabilities.

Volunteers of the “Ever Shining Cinema” project produce 104 barrier-free movies every year to make sure people with visual impairment can enjoy two new movies a week on average, which is equal to or even more than the average number of times able-bodied people watch movies a week.

In September 2022, the public-service project launched on-demand services of barrier-free movies on cable TVs in China, covering more than 200 million households across the country.

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Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

10 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

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Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.