When Jacky Hsu visited Edinburgh, Scotland, he explored the city on handicapped-accessible tour buses. In Japan, he traveled with few difficulties, with the assistance of subway workers and detailed tour information.
Back home, however, Hsu -- who has infantile paralysis -- as well as more than 910,000 others with mental or physical disabilities, often worry about how to get to their destination.
The number of disabled people is expected to rise as Taiwan becomes an aged society, so creating a barrier-free environment no longer means just meeting the basic needs of the disabled community. It may also pave the way for the development of accessible tourism -- a growing market around the world.
"The number of potential tourists who require accessible attractions is increasing internationally. Many countries have been working on improving tourism amenities to satisfy the needs of the disabled community or the elderly, and we'd like to make Taiwan the next country with successful accessible tourism," Lin Wen-pin (林文賓), the head of Eden Social Welfare Foundation's development department, said yesterday.
During a press conference called to announce an international accessible-tourism conference organized by the foundation and Asia Pacific Disability Forum, groups for the disabled and elderly introduced the concept of accessible tourism, which aims to provide accessible and friendly services and facilities for the disabled and the elderly.
Taipei Deputy Mayor King Pu-tsung (
King, who is the head of the city's accessible environment promotion committee, promised to make Taipei one of the most livable places in the world.
"Creating an accessible environment is a task. What we do is to make priorities of facilities needing to be improved. Currently we are working on bridges and pavement accessibility, followed by parks and tourism spots in the next round," King said.
"Older people in countries such as Japan and the United States represent a high percentage of the traveling population. We hope that with the conference, Taiwan's travel industry will work with us to make elder tourists benefit from a vacation without obstacles or difficulties," said Wu Yu-chin (
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior last year, the elderly make up almost 10 percent of Taiwan's population. When the disabled are taken into account, more than 17 percent of people in this country need a barrier-free environment.
Hsu said that in addition to facilities, availability of information about the accessibility of tourism spots, such as accessible guides for tourists or on the Web, is also important for developing successful accessible tourism.
The first international accessible tourism conference will be held at the Grand Hotel from tomorrow through Sunday. A total of 58 experts on accessible tourism and disabled groups from 10 countries will attend.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday expressed “shock and regret” over a statement issued by his wife without his consent, and rejected her assertion that his eldest sister, Ma Yi-nan (馬以南), would manage his medical care or act as his spokesperson amid an ongoing embezzlement probe into his foundation. Ma Ying-jeou in a statement said he was shocked by a statement by his wife, Chou Mei-ching (周美青), regarding his affairs. Ma Yi-nan “must not” be in charge of his healthcare and other personal affairs, nor can she be allowed to represent the Ma family, the former president said. He said he was also
RSS