The Control Yuan organized the 2018 Workshop on the Rights of People with Disabilities on December 7, which brought together practitioners, scholars, as well as representatives of government and civil societies to discuss about ways to foster a disability-friendly environment to enhance the protection of the rights of people with disabilities.
The Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted in 2006 by the United Nations. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there are currently 1.16 million people with disabilities in Taiwan, which accounts for 5% of the total population. To ensure their freedom and equality in dignity and rights, Taiwan ratified the CRPD in 2014. In her opening remarks, Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya emphasized Taiwan’s duty under the Convention to implement “reasonable accommodation” in the public and private sectors. This can help lead to a barrier-free environment that improves on the personal freedom, safety, judicial protection, education and employment rights of people with disabilities. She also called for reducing and removing the impediments to greater social participation for people with disabilities. In this way, we can create a supportive environment to enhance their independence and quality of life.
The workshop attracted more than 160 participants. A keynote speech on reasonable accommodation by Dr. Fort Liao Fu-te, President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, opened the day. It was followed by four panel discussions on the topics of the human rights protection work by the Control Yuan with regard to people with disabilities, and the implementation of Articles 13, 14, 15, 24 and 27 of the CRPD in Taiwan. Notable speakers include Mr. Lee Bing-hung, the first blind attorney in Taiwan, and Professor Amy Shee Huei-ling, who is mother to a high functioning autistic child.
At the closing ceremony, Control Yuan Vice President Sun Ta-chuan reiterated that the challenges faced by the people with disabilities lie at the core of human rights protection. He concluded the workshop by expressing his heartfelt gratitude to all the speakers for their participation and constructive insights to the matter.
The Control Yuan, with its mandate to safeguard human rights and monitor the government’s implementation of international human rights instruments, resonates strongly with Article 33 of the CRPD, which stipulates that “…States Parties shall, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish within the State Party, a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention.” The Control Yuan shall spare no effort in its human rights work.
The Control Yuan has completed several investigations and proposed corrective measures to the relevant authorities on the violation of human rights of people with disabilities. These reports (in Chinese only) are available for download on our website (http://www.cy.gov.tw).