Elders have meals at a canteen of Shenyang Haiman Specialist Care Retirement Home in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

　　SHENYANG, March 29 (Xinhua) -- As the radio echoed through the yard at lunchtime, a group of visually impaired elders navigated their way to the canteen, their hands gliding along the guardrails.

　　Chef Bai Yajuan used a microphone to read the dishes aloud. Six bowls of varying shapes and sizes, arranged in a set order, each containing a different dish, were served.

　　“Many blind people mix all their dishes into one bowl at home to avoid trouble and not burden their families,“ Bai explained. “To allow them to experience the flavors of each dish, we've designed bowls of different shapes to hold each dish separately, so they can easily get what they need.“

　　On the canteen wall, there is a chart showing the dietary preferences of each elder, ensuring their individual needs are fully respected at this retirement home in Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Besides, each table is labeled with the names of the elders in Braille, made from stainless steel, and placed at all four corners.

　　“Blind people prefer fixed seats so they can know who is sitting around them, which helps them feel more secure,“ said Zhang Yu, head of the Shenyang Haiman Specialist Care Retirement Home.

　　Established in 2019, the retirement home is the first dedicated facility for the blind on the Chinese mainland. It currently accommodates 107 visually impaired elders, 90 percent of whom are completely blind.