Having a ball with a party for the disabled

The ladies in the Kuang Ching Foundation (廣青文教基金會) office were trying on jewelry and exchan-ging playful banter as they glided about in their wheelchairs: "You're wearing purple? Me too!"

"What are we going to do about your hair?"

The party these women were so eagerly anticipating is tomorrow night's "incomparable" ball for the disabled (舞與輪比障礙者舞會), the second annual ball organized by the Kuang Ching.

The event, which coincides with Chinese Valentine's Day, will be held at the Ketagalan Cultural Hall in Xin Beitou (新北投) and is open only to disabled individuals who register and come in formal dress.

"Originally the idea was just to have dancing, so why did we think of having everybody dress up so nice and pretty? Because we realized so many disabled friends thought it impossible," said Kuang Ching staff member Chen Ching-chy (陳青旗). She raised the example of some wheelchair-bound individuals who have severely curved torsos and doubted that they could ever look beautiful no matter what they wore.

But Chen, whose torso is also curved, had been to many formal events before, so she knew it was possible. She felt that more than just a dance party, what many disabled friends needed was a chance to get done up to the nines.

Last year's ball, the first event of its kind in Taiwan, was a smashing success. The dancing went on well into the night, and many a belle left the ball with more confidence than when she had come.

"One of our friends said that before, when people told her she was pretty, she thought it was just to comfort her. But on that night when people told her she was pretty, she responded with `Thank you,' because she knew it was true," Chen said.

Last year's ball had 50 attendees, most of whom were women. This year 75, people of all ages and various disabilities, inclu-ding about 20 men, have already registered. There will also be 75 volunteers from Chlitina International Trading serving as dance partners and beauticians. The evening will begin at 6pm with a procession down the red carpet, where each participant will get his or her moment in the spotlight. Besides dancing, the party will include performances, speeches and a very big cake.

In excess of NT$250,000 was fundraised to put on the event. According to Chen, finding the right venue for the ball was no easy task as most places are only partially wheelchair accessible. Doing something about the sad state of wheelchair accessibility in Taipei, however, is the domain of various other foundations, Chen said.

The Kuang Ching Foundation has been around for 16 years providing the disabled community with services such as skills classes, film festivals and a hotline. After months of fundraising, the hotline will become a 0800 number this September. Volunteers answering the phones offer advice on how to adjust to life with a

disability as well as just a sympathetic ear.

Chen told the story of one disabled individual who had to scrape together NT$100 to buy a phone card because his brother and sister-in-law whom he lived with wouldn't allow him to call from the home phone.

This story and many others of disabled people overcoming obstacles are what inspire Chen and her co-workers at the Kuang Ching Foundation to challenge the community with new activities that some may have thought impossible.

"Actually, there's so much that disabled friends can do," Chen said.