TAIWAN | Control Yuan holds workshop on the rights of people with disabilities

The Control Yuan organized the “2018 Workshop on the Rights of People with Disabilities” on December 7, gathering together representatives of people with disabilities, relevant government agencies and civil organizations, as well as expert scholars in related fields to discuss ways of fostering a disability-friendly environment so as to enhance protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The workshop focused on the liberty and security, judicial protection, as well as education and employment rights of people with disabilities. It also covered the concept of “reasonable accommodation” in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The term is defined in the convention as “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The Control Yuan invited several leading academics from relevant fields as keynote speakers to elaborate in greater detail on the idea of “reasonable accommodation.” A number of CY Members also shared their experience and knowledge obtained during their investigations in recent cases involving violations of the rights of individuals with disabilities, including sexual assault cases. The Control Yuan has completed several related investigation reports and proposed corrective measures to the relevant authorities accordingly, instructing them to make improvements.

The workshop attracted more than 160 participants from different fields. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics, there are currently 1.16 million people with disabilities in Taiwan, accounting for about 5 percent of the total population. The discussions and exchanges during the workshop have helped to raise awareness and understanding of the human rights challenges faced by people with disabilities, as well as have provided an impetus for the government to further implement the CRPD.

Source: Control Yuan, Taiwan