First lady Wu rewarded for `Bustin' the Barriers'

Taiwan's first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) was honored with the Bustin' the Barriers International Disability Award on Tuesday at a ceremony held in Ottawa, Canada.

The award was co-sponsored by the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Ontario and Citizen Advocacy, and was part of a series of activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Disabled Persons promoted by the UN.

The sponsors said that they bestowed the award on Wu in recognition of her promotion of democracy and human rights in Taiwan, as well as for her ceaseless efforts to upgrade Taiwan's international profile.

Wu Ching-yi (吳景裕), Wu's cousin, collected the award on her behalf from Kirk Dudtschak, vice president of RBC Eastern Region, a sponsor of the event.

Before the award ceremony, the sponsors also aired a videotape of Wu, showing her before the car accident in mid-1980 that left her paralyzed from the waist down, her refusal to give up and her efforts in visiting other countries on behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to make Taiwan more visible in the international community.