The Cabinet yesterday approved the first changes to the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act (身心障礙者權益保障法) in 18 years, which aims to ensure the participation of people with disabilities in the policymaking process and improve accessibility.
The proposed amendments uphold disabled people’s right of representation in policy consultations, clarify services, build up infrastructure and enforce laws to protect them.
Forty-one articles were amended, nine were added and one was removed to align the law more closely with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Photo: CNA
Social and Family Affairs Administration Acting Director Chou Tao-chun (周道君) said that under the new Article 50-1, necessary travel arrangements or supplementary personnel needed by those with physical or mental disabilities when participating in events may be provided through a personal assistant.
An ancillary law and other measures would be drafted to oversee the finer details of implementing that amendment, Chou said.
Article 16 of the draft adds the concept of “harassment,” which is more in line with what people with disabilities might say regarding certain acts that, while not obviously discriminatory, still affect the group in general, and for which they might demand compensation or restitution, Chou said.
The draft also states that representatives, and people with physical and mental disabilities should comprise half of the Executive Yuan’s Committee for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
People who have contravened laws could be banned from being nominated as a committee member for a period of time or for life, depending on the severity of their actions, the draft says.
If a facility that cares for or serves people with disabilities seriously contravenes the law, it would be fined, and its registered name and the name of its manager would be publicly disclosed, it says.
Should the facility’s infractions result in death, it and the manager would face heavier penalties, it added.
Meanwhile, Web sites and apps developed by the government, state-owned businesses and public bodies subsidized by the government must meet the standard government standards for barrier-free content, the amendment states.
Hospital and financial Web sites should comply with the same requirement, it adds.
Local governments must also implement improvement plans if they are found to lack streets, sidewalks and arcades that meet barrier-free policies, the amendment states.
Additionally, transportation policies and services should be revisited to develop rehabilitation buses and similar services, the amendment says.
Independent Living Association Taipei secretary-general Lin Chun-chieh (林君潔) said that while the details of the amendments warrant further discussion, as the act affects a large group of people across different social strata, the government’s willingness to listen to the public deserves appreciation.
Lin added that she hoped the amendments would be discussed in greater detail in the legislature and that it would be passed during this session.
Additional reporting by CNA
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