Yes, our work is creating technology. We’re also building a future, in some concrete ways, that is smart, sustainable, and inclusive. The new global headquarters in China is a great example of our vision to make cities more accessible for everyone, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

By 2050, the number of people over 60 years old will double, says the World Health Organization (WHO). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 27 percent of Americans live with a disability, and the WHO reports 16 percent of people worldwide experience significant disability.

Laying the Foundation for the Future

As the new Tencent campus takes shape, two of our office buildings completed by the end of 2024 have already been awarded a three-star rating in accessibility standards – the highest level of recognition in China. In addition, we have been awarded for outstanding design by the country’s disability organizations.

For example, accessible restrooms will facilitate wheelchair entry and maneuverability, with wide turning space, outward-opening, swing, or automatic sliding doors, high- and low-level hooks, and multifunctional change stations.

Elevators can be called with the tap of a foot, and buttons will be easy to spot and read. Other elements of accessibility incorporate sound and color, such as to differentiate elevator doors from walls.

Our Blueprint for Inclusive Urban Spaces

Such innovations don’t stop at the office buildings. We’re building an entire low-carbon and accessible campus that will include a technology museum, cultural center, sports amenities, and other community facilities. Green and state-of-the-art tech will be used in innovations such as smart roads populated by autonomous driving vehicles. This not only reduces urban traffic congestion and pollution, but it also makes cities safer and easier to get around.

The first of the new buildings are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. When ready, we will be opening our campus area to the public, inviting everyone to come and experience our vision of a barrier-free and technologically advanced life.

User-Centric Benefits

The true measure of our success is in the tangible benefits experienced by our users, inclusive of all members of society. We know there is much more to be done and many challenges to overcome, and our new headquarters is only part of our mission to use tech for good.

In addition to buildings and autonomous transport, we have undertaken a raft of initiatives to improve accessibility and livability. This includes haptics technology to empower blind and low-vision people to independently navigate neighborhoods; harnessing the Weixin ecosystem to help people with disabilities find jobs; and a rainwater-management solution that increases a city’s resilience to climate change. 

Read more about how we’re helping to create future societies that are safe, inclusive, healthy, and sustainable: