President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) upset some people with disabilities yesterday by failing to have a sign-language specialist interpret his New Year’s address.
Taiwan Association for Disability Rights secretary-general Wang Yuling (王幼玲) said that no sign language interpreter was hired to translate Ma’s speech on the first day of the new year, nor the slogans the president shouted during the flag-raising ceremony held in front of the Office of the President.
The television stations broadcasting these events did not provide subtitles for the speech either, she added.
“Developed countries around the world all offer sign-language interpretation whenever the head of the state makes an important announcement,” Wang said. “By not providing this service, Taiwan really does not look like a civilized country that honors human rights.”
Wang said that thousands of people with disabilities took to the streets last year to demand equal access to information and cultural events, urging that the news and other televised programs be made accessible to all people. They also requested that press conferences hosted by the government agencies feature sign-language translation.
“We are surprised that Ma set such a terrible example on the first day of the year,” she said.
Wang said this was not the first time that the president had ignored the equal access to information rights of the hearing impaired.
During the inauguration ceremony for his second term last year, Ma’s address was neither interpreted in sign language nor broadcast with subtitles, she said.
After receiving complaints, the Presidential Office promised to improve, but did not make good on this promise during yesterday’s New Year’s address, Wang added, saying the Ma administration should list “barrier-free access to information” as a criterion in the evaluation of all government events.
The association said that the Ma administration has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which state that all individuals have the right to participate in public affairs and receive information on an equal basis.
This right is further enshrined in the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act (身心障礙者權益保障法), which also states that access to public information should be barrier-free, the association said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS