Wheelchairs and buses
So this is the part where I tell my story, because most people have not heard it before. Before I even begin, it is already starting to get old. It is a story I have been carrying around for months and a story I have been encouraged to share, but there is panic in my heart as I begin to write, because I do not know if people will care. I am afraid I might say what I know and that no one will listen. As much as I have felt abandoned, this could be much worse.
This is a story about a bus and a wheelchair — two things that, in principle, do not mix well. A special formula is needed for them to mix. People can take it as an “FYI,” but the real reason why I am writing this is very simple. It is because the people who should know it, do not.
The formula is straightforward if one is mindful of every step. An accessible bus pulls into a bus stop. The bus floor is lowered, and the ramp is pulled out and locked in place. The wheelchair must be secured before the bus drives off to prevent the wheelchair from tipping over. When alighting, a bus must pull into a bus stop, making sure there is enough room for a wheelchair to reverse down the ramp. The wheelchair must clear the ramp before it is retracted.
Lastly, a driver must never say or imply to a passenger that any of these procedures are troublesome or annoying, are time-wasting. If people remember all the steps that is excellent, and there are bonus points if they are carried out with a smile.
It is not a terribly long list. Unfortunately, for the most part, people are still stuck at step one: An accessible bus. The rest is up for grabs.
I wish I could tell people that I am so well-versed in these procedures that I am practically an ambassador of accessible buses in Taichung. I wish I could say that the Taichung Transportation Bureau has reviewed my recommendations and put in place new regulations to protect the rights of passengers in wheelchairs and that instances where common sense and common courtesy were put to good use have tripled since I moved here. Oh the glorious progress of my one-woman campaign where, armed with my mobile phone, which is capable of recording videos, I take down bad drivers one at a time.
However, the battle is becoming lonelier and tougher to fight. I find my mental and physical state weakening, rather than getting stronger. I panic when a driver refuses to use the ramp. I have a lingering fear that one day I might be injured while taking the bus. I have come to a point where I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I have come to realize that arguing with a bus driver does not solve the problem.
The government-imposed standard operating procedures that are still in development are taking too long. Filing complaint after complaint with the city council is time-consuming and monotonous and it depletes my energy.
Beyond the stagnation and the helplessness, what makes me tear up is the realization that what I am fighting against is a class system I did not know existed.
If I did not have to take the bus every day, I would not know the discrimination of disabled people suffer every single day.
The fight is so difficult because accessibility is a human right our society has allowed to go unnoticed.
When a bus driver refuses to lock a ramp and nobody stands up for me as I plead with the driver, their silence gives the wrongdoer reason to believe it is me who is holding everyone up. It is me and my wheelchair that is causing all the disruption to their schedule.
This is a cry of desperation, a wail that mixes disbelief — I am crying over a bus? Really? — and thorough disappointment.
I came here in pursuit of a dream job and I am defeated by a group of individuals who do not believe I deserve to ride a bus like everyone else, free of fear and humiliation.
Every bus ride threatens to destroy my patient and cheery demeanor. Every word of indifference presses into my psyche the notion I am not worthy of having my basic human needs satisfied. Every argument with a driver leaves me a more defensive, cynical, bitter person.
The battle is lonely and I am running out of options. What can I do?
Unless there is a seismic change in how society views and treats people with disabilities, I am afraid this will be a hopeless, endless fight. I am afraid I might give up before the fight is over.
Elaine Ko
Taichung
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
RSS