Fighting for Disability Rights: In Case You Missed It
Taiwan wants more foreign talent. But longtime foreign residents are realizing that if they develop disabilities, they are on their own. Today on In Case You Missed It, we look at critical issues affecting foreign nationals and Taiwanese with disabilities.
Transcript
00:00 Hello and welcome. I'm Louise Watt with news from around Taiwan, in case you missed it.
00:23 Taiwan is trying to attract more foreign talent to the country, but some of the foreign residents
00:28 who've lived here for decades are now realising that when they get ill, they don't get the
00:33 help they need.
00:39 Taipei resident Katie Ho cares for her British husband Michael Boyden at home in the Taiwanese
00:46 capital. He was diagnosed with atypical Parkinsonism four years ago.
00:53 Despite living and working in Taiwan since the 1990s, Boyden, as a foreign resident,
00:58 is shut out of disability benefits, including home visits by medical professionals - something
01:05 that pains his Taiwanese wife.
01:07 "I know there are a lot of haters on the internet. They also say things like, 'Go back to your
01:17 home country.' My husband arrived here in 1989. He lived here for 34 years. He left
01:30 his homeland, UK, in his early 20s, where he lived longest, here."
01:39 Before he became ill, Boyden was a business consultant and one-time actor in a Taiwanese
01:44 film.
01:59 Now he counts among up to 170,000 foreigners with disabilities in Taiwan.
02:06 But only foreigners from Japan can claim disability benefits because of a long-standing reciprocal
02:12 agreement between Taiwan and Japan.
02:15 With symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, in the past 18 months Boyden lost all ability
02:21 to communicate and now has to be fed through a tube in his stomach every two hours. His
02:28 wife has to keep working to pay for his care.
02:32 Without a disability certificate from the government, foreign residents can't apply
02:37 for subsidised medical services or equipment like wheelchairs and they can't even park
02:43 in a disabled parking space.
02:46 A campaign is on to change that. A petition demanding equal rights garnered more than
02:52 1,000 signatures, spearheaded by a non-profit group Crossroads, which pushes for a more
02:58 internationally friendly Taiwan.
03:01 "As far as Taiwan's currently ramping up its efforts to attract talent due to brain
03:06 drain and an ageing population, Taiwan also needs to kind of fix, look at this issue,
03:13 this glaring issue and think about in terms of not just attracting talent to Taiwan but
03:19 how do you retain talent."
03:21 The Ministry of Health and Welfare says considering Taiwan's limited resources, it formulates
03:27 policies and regulations based on the principle that Taiwan's social welfare system should
03:33 protect the basic rights of citizens.
03:37 But it also says it has asked the foreign ministry to investigate whether Taiwanese
03:42 in certain countries receive disability benefits, meaning expats from the UK could expect the
03:49 same protections as Taiwanese living in the UK.
03:56 For Katie Ho and her husband Michael, any changes that may result from this campaign
04:02 might come too late.
04:04 "He loves Taiwan. He really loves Taiwan. Like the people here love the good, bad and
04:09 ugly. He loves it. And recently I think more, I just feel like I'm so sorry. Taiwan doesn't
04:18 love you back. That's how strongly I feel."
04:24 Ho has learned to look after Boyden without help from the state. In the afternoons she
04:30 sits with him, reading updates on social media. And they look at photos of their children
04:36 and grandchildren.
04:38 She is making the most of the time they have. And she hopes that her country soon gives
04:44 its foreign residents equal disability rights, so others will be spared some of what she
04:51 and her husband are going through.
05:01 Klein Wong and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.
05:06 As foreigners in Taiwan fight for equal disability rights, one legislator is getting on board
05:12 and hoping he can win a change in the law.
05:16 South African entrepreneur Andrew Klerk crosses this road near his central Taipei home several
05:21 times a day. A genetic condition has left him with 2% sight in just one eye.
05:28 He asked authorities to install a beeping signal, but they told him it's not possible.
05:33 Because Klerk doesn't have a disability certificate. He can't get one. Because he's not Taiwanese.
05:39 The government tells the world they really take care of the foreigners and they want
05:45 foreigners here to come and teach and bring their expertise and start businesses here.
05:52 But then once you're here you realise there's those little jabs from the back of like, hey
05:58 remember you're a second class citizen.
06:01 Foreigners like Klerk are shut out of disability services and subsidised transport and medical
06:06 care because they can't get an official recognition of their disability.
06:11 Taiwan says it operates on a reciprocal basis when it comes to foreign nationals.
06:16 But more than 30 years after it first said that, the Taiwanese government has only given
06:21 equal treatment to residents from one country - Japan.
06:25 Despite not being part of the United Nations, Taiwan nine years ago enacted a law to uphold
06:31 a UN convention protecting the human rights of people with disabilities.
06:36 By denying them recognition, foreigners say Taiwan is breaking its own law.
06:42 Legislator Wong Ting-yu from Taiwan's ruling party wants to change things.
06:47 He's tabled an amendment to an existing law that would give foreigners who've lived in
06:51 Taiwan for a cumulative 10 years the right to be certified as disabled.
06:58 They spend their life, maybe decades, they pay tax, they fulfil their duties in Taiwan.
07:06 When they need help, we cannot ask them to go back to their home, their country, no.
07:14 Klerk, who has been in Taiwan on and off for 18 years, would qualify.
07:20 He helps people build businesses in Taiwan and gives speeches at government sponsored
07:25 events to help young people get ahead.
07:33 Klerk's Taiwanese partner is proud of his contributions and hopes his country soon allows
07:38 him to be eligible for subsidised medical equipment and transport and special education
07:44 for the visually impaired.
07:46 I think if Andrew and also other foreigners, if they reside here and they can get such
07:53 a certificate, I think that would be a good improvement and also something encouraging
07:58 for people to actually to stay here.
08:02 As a new generation of foreigners try to find employment and ways to stay in Taiwan, long-time
08:08 residents hope they will be treated more fairly.
08:12 Klein Wong and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.
08:17 Taiwan is a rapidly aging society and with greater age comes greater health risks as
08:23 the population gets older, a new issue is emerging, double aging families.
08:28 Harrell Hughes takes a look at how relatives who rely on each other for care are worried
08:33 for the future.
08:35 A hand-painted present and cake to celebrate another year of life.
08:39 But the celebration also highlights a growing problem in Taiwan.
08:43 Families like this are referred to as double aging households.
08:46 That's when both the caretakers and the people they look after get older.
08:51 Xiao Chun is 40 years old and has cerebral palsy.
08:54 She lives with her family and relies on them for her daily needs.
08:58 But as her parents grow older, her future care comes into question.
09:02 What will happen after they are gone?
09:04 She is still very young.
09:07 She can't climb stairs or do anything.
09:10 She doesn't talk when she is angry.
09:12 She doesn't eat or drink.
09:13 She doesn't want anything.
09:14 She is old and I can't worry her.
09:15 She will be fine in the future.
09:16 I can't worry her.
09:21 What will happen to her in the future?
09:22 Government figures estimate 1.2 million people in Taiwan have some kind of disability.
09:27 Among them, over 940,000 people are over the age of 45, more than 90 percent of people
09:33 live at home, and nearly 70 percent of people need assistance in their daily life.
09:38 At care centers for people with disabilities, the problem of double aging families is apparent.
09:44 We have met more than half of the population.
09:48 When it comes to the use of residential services or future care,
09:53 it is often a social crisis when the caregiver can't continue to take care of the patient.
10:01 Taiwan is predicted to become a super-aged society by 2025,
10:06 where over 20 percent of the population is aged 65 and above.
10:10 The country's current solution for long-term care is to rely on migrant care workers.
10:15 But with a range of problems including cost of care and labor rights abuses,
10:19 a more comprehensive solution is needed.
10:22 Andy Hsueh and Harrell Hughes for Taiwan Plus.
10:27 Taiwan has been called a living hell for pedestrians.
10:31 Pavements or sidewalks are often missing, and the few that do exist are regularly blocked
10:36 by scooters or cars.
10:38 It's bad enough for able-bodied residents, but as John Van Triest now reports,
10:43 so much worse for people in wheelchairs.
10:47 Nearly two months after her accident, Lin Chun-jie's arm is still in a sling.
10:52 While on her way to a meeting in Taipei on disability issues,
10:55 her wheelchair went over a sidewalk curb she couldn't see was there.
10:59 On Tuesday, she joined a press conference with other people with disabilities,
11:03 bearing a message--it's time to make Taiwan's walkways fully accessible.
11:08 Between the sidewalk and the road, there is a 10-foot high difference.
11:14 I didn't think there would be a step, so I just drove straight down.
11:19 And people were flying over the sidewalk.
11:21 At least one lawmaker was at the event to offer support.
11:24 The Interior Ministry now says it will work with the Transportation Ministry
11:28 to deal with curbs under 20 centimeters high, ensuring accidents like Lin Chun-jie's
11:32 won't happen again.
11:34 But accessibility advocates say high curbs are just one of the obstacles
11:38 people in wheelchairs face.
11:40 Because all the money is hers, it's a violation.
11:44 When her parking space is taken as a family parking space,
11:51 or a business space, it's a violation.
11:57 But no one dares to take our government's regulations.
12:02 Last year, Taiwan made global headlines when an article called the country
12:05 a pedestrian hell.
12:07 With illegally parked scooters, narrow pathways, and uneven pavement,
12:10 the country's infrastructure is already less than ideal for people without disabilities.
12:15 For people with disabilities, getting around is that much harder.
12:19 Justin Wu and John Van Triest in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
12:24 A factory in central Taiwan has won an award for being a welcoming place
12:28 for people with disabilities.
12:30 Nearly a third of the workers experience some form of disability,
12:34 and all have an important role to play.
12:37 Here's John Van Triest again.
12:41 After many months of training, Mr. Xu is now a star employee at this paper factory.
12:46 Mr. Xu has an intellectual disability that might have seen him turned away
12:50 from other workplaces.
12:52 But here, he is one of six staff members with some form of disability.
12:56 That may not seem very many, but it's more than 30% of employees
13:00 at this small paper company called Jinlihuo.
13:03 The owners say the time and investment put into training disabled staff
13:19 has more than paid off.
13:22 We have to give them some time.
13:25 They can slowly get used to it.
13:28 They've been working here for four or five years now.
13:33 Taiwan's Labor Ministry recently gave Jinlihuo an award
13:37 recognizing its inclusive hiring practices.
13:40 The employees' performance at work is commendable.
13:44 It proves that people with disabilities have love and care for each other.
13:48 It's very helpful for business development.
13:52 The ministry is encouraging more businesses to follow this paper maker's lead,
13:56 working with career centers to set up apprenticeships for people with disabilities.
14:00 It's hoped initiatives like these will help make Taiwan a place
14:03 where all citizens can be part of an inclusive workplace.
14:07 Alex Chen and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.
14:10 Thank you for watching In Case You Missed It.
14:14 Be sure to download the Taiwan Plus app for more stories from Taiwan and around the world.
14:19 Finally, we leave you with images of wheelchair dancers
14:22 showing off their moves to inspire young students.
14:26 I'm Louise Wat. Take care and we'll see you next time.
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