In order to let the public understand the importance of the accessible and friendly environment, Eden Foundation organized the 10th "Accessible Life Festival", which is now on display at the Fairground of the MRT Daan Park Station from now until the 19th, Nov. The content of the exhibition includes a decade review, accessible experience challenges and stage performances, etc., presenting the diversified needs and patterns of society. At the press conference this morning on 16th, Nov., our Charity Ambassador Sasa (Ms. Hsin-Yu Chung) was invited to attend the event. Together with Mr. Mitch Tsao, Vice CEO of Eden Foundation, Ms. Mei-kuei Hsu, wheelchair dancer, Ms. Hsiao-Chieh, service user of Xinglong Disability Care Center, store managers with disabilities, and Cloud Volunteers, Eden launched the ceremony, appealing the public to embrace everyone in their real image in our society with gentleness.
Eden held the 10th Accessible Life Festival press conference today on 16th, Nov. inviting guests with disabilities and service users to stack up the cake to symbolize an inclusive society.
Ms. Sasa, our Charity Ambassador, was the first to open the exhibition hall. In addition to sitting in a wheelchair and experiencing the inconvenience of wheelchair users, she also put on special glasses to feel the darkness in front of her eyes, and at the same time, she learned about the various needs of people with psycho-social disabilities in the community through their real confessions of words. Sasa said that after the experience, she could feel the difficulty of the daily life of persons with disabilities, and the need for more understanding and friendliness from the community for everyone to live a good and comfortable life in the society.
Wheelchair dancer Ms. Mei-kuei Hsu, who has been in a wheelchair all her life due to polio, has been invited to be the speaker of the "The Human Library" and will share her life story with the public on Sunday afternoon. Ms. Mei-kuei Hsu said, in the past, due to the lack of popularization of medical information, most people did not know much about polio, and she was often teased as "crippled" when walking on the road, which made her very lack of self-confidence. It was not until she joined Eden Wheelchair Dance Team that she had the opportunity to get in touch with sports, culture and performing arts, and use her own strength to stand on the stage and show her unique vitality.
For the first time, Sasa was able to experience the world of 100 centimeters in a wheelchair, and felt the challenges and difficulties faced by wheelchair users every day.
The other representative with disabilities who responded to the 10th anniversary was Ms. Hsiao-Chieh from the Xinglong Disability Care Center, she is the one with Cerebral palsy and started to use the services from Eden at the age of 18, because her father's health was deteriorating as he got older, making it difficult for him to bear the pressure of caring for her. Hsao-Chieh is always smiling and is the sweetheart in the center. This is the first time she participates in the Accessible Life Festival, and accompanied by the Cloud Volunteers, she will sing on the Dream Stage, expecting to show everyone the diversity and beauty of persons with disabilities.
Mr. Mitch Tsao, the Vice CEO of Eden Foundation, said that the composition of a society covers people of all shapes and colors, and the world is so colorful because of each other's differences. Therefore, this year's exhibition is very colorful. There will be interactive accessible challenges and testing for the public to experience, as well as handicraft experiences and booth bazaars which lead by instructors with disabilities, in the hope that face-to-face will bring more understanding; and in the static exhibition, there will be exhibits on accessible issues that have been closely related to people's lives in the last decade, and further respond to the Ten Steps of Kindness to bring about a change.
The classic "Wheelchair Driving School" returns, allowing the public to experience the daily lives of persons with disabilities.
Mitch said that to achieve the goal of the accessible life, every step of the way requires the participation and recognition of all sectors of the society. In the past, the Accessible Life Festival has promoted "Think Different, Feel Different" and advocated policies related to the rights of persons with disabilities to eliminate discrimination. Now that the festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary, it is expected that the public will further break down the old concepts of philanthropic and pity for persons with disabilities, and instead, the public will understand and interact with each other with a human rights perspective, to ensure them to enjoy a life of real dignity and respect.
Upon completion of the experience, Mr. Mitch Tsao, the Vice CEO of Eden, presented a certificate of challenges clearance, symbolizing Sasa's and Eden's commitment to enhance the accessible life for all.
The 10th Accessible Life Festival Taipei 2023 will run for four days from now until November 19th, from 10am to 6pm (extended to 8pm on weekends), and is free of charge, we invite all your support. For more information, please search for "Accessible Life Festival" or visit Eden's official website.
