AIM: To explore an effective way of establishing a cataract barrier-free region by the establishment of community service network. METHODS:A primary care center and three neighborhood committees under its jurisdiction were chosen. The questionnaire was designed with reference of the questionnaire of a ravid ophthalmology hospital in India. The survey included two stages: (1) Investigation on the cognition of community residents to cataract; (2) Investigation on the willingness of accepting operation. RESULTS: There were about 1500 elder people aged over 60, and the cases who correspond actively accounted for 80.0%. In all the questionnaires resumed, the ones who had self consciousness accounted for 92.0%, and visited actively ones accounted for 54.5% while 96.5% of the investigated man needed health propaganda and education. The cognitive questionnaires were fed back to the neighborhood committees by the hospitals of communities. After ophthalmologic examination, 16.7% of them needed operation. The willingness of accepting operation was affected by the following factors: economic conditions(34.0%), psychologic situation(40.0%) and operated before(10.0%). CONCLUSION: In the downtown of Beijing even the center of the city, health propaganda and education of knowledge of cataractis essential. The cognition of cataract had nothing to do with the educational level. Participating of the hospitals with surgical technique of cataract and primary care center with the help of government was an effective way to establish a cataract-free region.