The Challenges of Life with Disability in Taiwan

Ah, the challenges of day to day life with disability in Taiwan. I’m still shocked by this same question every time it’s asked.

To be blunt: Disability affects EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE.

Every decision we make each day includes how we’re going to navigate every minute of life with disability. From getting out of bed, to keeping clean, getting dressed, making meals, getting around the house, and navigating constant obstacles outside our homes – these are just a few of the many different ways that life with disability challenges us.

I published this article a year ago to assist Crossroads Taiwan in understanding the day to day challenges of life with disability in Taiwan. It was written for the launch of our Disability Inclusion petition in Taiwan in March 2023.

My conclusion a year later…

If you are disabled, DO NOT MOVE TO TAIWAN. DON’T MOVE TO TAIWAN if you have family members who might become disabled later in life or who are chronically ill.

MSW, Disability, and Accessibility

My Several Worlds is one of the first sites that pops up in when people are looking for information about disability in Taiwan.

My Several Worlds has a huge worldwide audience for chronic illness and disability. It’s recognized worldwide for arthritis awareness. Arthritis is the number one leading cause of disability in the world. My site is also globally recognized for fibromyalgia, disability, and chronic pain awareness.

At the time of writing this article in March 2023, I did not need disability assistance. My meds were helping a bit. I need it now though.

By July 2023, I was in desperate need of help again.

Whenever my disease is active (not in remission) even moving around IN my home is fraught with day to day challenges. My meds allow me to get back on my feet for short periods of time (15-20 mins) but I’m still challenged every day by my diseases.

Autoimmune diseases have stolen every part of the rich and fulfilling life I built for myself.

My disability journey started 15 years ago

From disease onset to diagnosis, things got worse. I hit rock bottom when I ran out of meds that helped. Then I had to fight to get coverage for my super expensive inflammatory arthritis medications. They cost NT32,000 PER MONTH. We somehow came up with that money from 2018 to 2022.

In late 2022, I won a landslide petition that awarded coverage. My win has been bittersweet. By that time, I knew we needed help. I dreaded the day that I knew was coming. It arrived in July 2023 when I could no longer walk into the hospital by myself.

Accessing disability services has never been about money for us, by the way! Since we have no family here, we have no help. We need a handicap parking pass. My legs are ruined. I need to be able to book disability transport services when I can’t walk into the hospital.

What is Disability Inclusion Taiwan?

MSW is working with a non profit organization called Crossroads Taiwan. We have created a small task force in March 2003 to petition the law for foreigners to be able to access disability services. My Several Worlds (MSW) is a patient-centered hub in Asia that supports people living with chronic illness, chronic pain, & disability.

From our first meeting on March 7, 2023 we’ve hustled to make the public aware that foreign residents of Taiwan are excluded from disability services. Exclusion from being able to access disability services is a human rights issue. Everyone should have fair and equal access to basic human rights.

On September 25, 2025, Legislator Wang was successful in ensuring that all foreign permanent residents can access the help they need.

Disability is a HUGE topic

MSW does its best to cover as many angles as possible. My life is affected by disability in every way. My readers find my content helpful. Thus I continue writing.

Crossroads must focus on what they can do within their organization. They are great at what they do and they have my full support and appreciation. I give a silent thanks to their team each day for listening to our stories and helping as much as possible.

My Several Worlds is not limited by resources or time constrictions. Not only do I generate a lot of information for readers, but I also excel at finding and reviewing PubMed and NLM articles, as well as government data to help others understand basic talking points about disability.

When Crossroads needed facts and data, I had it here on MSW dating back 10 years. Did you know that 15% of the world population is disabled? Yet Taiwan’s disabled population stats are well below that number at 5.16 percent. ^Source

What are the challenges with disability?

These day to day challenges of life with disability are prevalent everywhere and are not specific to Taiwan. I write from my perspective of life with disability here in Taiwan. I also use the information I get through my networks to provide additional information. This includes doctors and patients in my Taiwanese support groups.

We disabled folks know how many factors are involved with decision we make. It’s not enough to say disability affects every aspect of our lives. We need to get specific.

Here’s a recent example. The following questions are based on calls and texts with a recently disabled friend in Taiwan.

He felt he was aware of the challenges that disabled people face when he was able-bodied. I thought I understood too! Then he became disabled and he realized he didn’t understand it at all. His questions about my disabled life show how hard it is to understand this journey.

Basic questions that disabled people have:

Is it normal that it hurts to sit in a wheelchair? What happens when I outgrow my current mobility aid? Why can’t I find anyone to talk to? Is it normal to feel so isolated? Why haven’t doctors prepared me? Is it normal to feel like a burden? Who is going to help me get these answers? Is it normal to feel scared knowing it’s going to get worse?

It’s hard to ask for help when you’re disabled. This is just a sample of questions that people ask, by the way. I’ve also asked myself these questions.

Conveying the magnitude of what a person is going through is impossible. The people we were before our disabilities came along are gone.

We often feel like we live in a different world and that’s true. That is why this site is called My Several Worlds.

What’s the biggest barrier that disabled people face in Taiwan?

In Taiwan, the Chinese word used to refer to people with disabilities translated to ‘useless and worthless disability.‘_^Source

Despite changes in disability policy reform in 2007, nothing has moved the needle on disability reform. The medical model of disability is still the standard for disability evaluation.

This model implies we are bodies that need to be fixed.

The lack of awareness here is depressing and frustrating. It trickles down from the top and infects everything. Nothing is easy because of how society views disability in Taiwan despite reform and changes. Disabled people are invisible here.

I have managed to secure news stories on my own with the Taipei Times, AmCham Topics, and National Education Radio Taiwan over the years. But at the time of writing this in March 2023, no one was covering this topic in mainstream news.

Thankfully, local media resources have been quick to help in the past year. Public awareness is changing but it’s slow.

Ableism is embedded in Taiwanese society

All you have to do is look at how disabled people are treated here. The next time you’re on the street and someone in a wheelchair tries to sell you something, pay attention.

That person is trying to make a living. They are struggling. That person needs help and assistance. They are still largely ignored by pedestrians. It breaks my heart every time I see them. Spend $100NT and help them, please.

It’s hard to believe that disabled people are still discriminated against in this day and age. Yet it’s apparent that people here do not know or understand what ableism looks like or sounds like. Ableism is embedded in Taiwanese society due to ignorance about disability

Disabled people are invisible in Taiwan.

Broad categories of disability

People living with disabilities can have physical limitations, cognitive difficulties, or serious mental illness.

A disability is something that prevents a person from being unable to participate fully in work, education, housework, and other day to day activities.

Examples:

• Being sick and disabled is expensive for the individual
• Lack of community support and awareness
• Lack of resources
• Accessibility issues
• Lack of employment opportunities and livelihood support

What happens when I try to participate in an in-person event?

I live with severe physical limitations. Not only is it hard for me to go out in public, but I also have cognitive issues that require me to take frequent breaks. I get repetitive or I withdraw and become quiet when I’m overwhelmed.

Here’s an example of what my day looks like if I try to participate in an in-person event. Bear with me. It’s long but imagine trying to do this yourself if you’re in my situation.

I’m often is being invited to meetings in Taipei at facilities that are not accessible. To get there, I’d have to get me and my wheelchair to the HSR station. Then I have to get into the station and the right platform. After that I have to get on the train and do the same thing in Taipei.

Taipei buildings are notorious for having unreasonable access to enter buildings. Once I’ve had the driver unload my wheelchair, I have to find a way into the building. Access ramps are usually at the back of buildings or include long, winding ramps – if there’s a ramp.

I can expect stairs inside. Then I have to find an elevator, and then make my way to the meeting room. This assumes I don’t run into any obstacles in my wheelchair. I hope with all my heart I do not have to use the bathroom.

This is all before the meeting starts.

Life in Taiwan does not include disabled people

At that point, I’m several hours into my day and I’m by myself. I’m tired and overwhelmed. Next, I have a meeting to participate in. I’ve been to MOFA meetings where I’ve been an absolute mess by the time I arrived. At that point, I’m stressing about getting home on top of participating in the meeting.

It became impossible for me to keep doing this.

Transportation problems for disabled people in Taiwan are rife with problems. I can’t afford to order a disability taxi to take me 5 minutes to the HSR. Ordering an Uber is 50/50. I’ve had drivers see me in my wheelchair and drive right by me. They look at me, keep going, and then cancel my ride!

This 2020 story about a bus driver in New Taipei who would not stop for a man with ALS is a great example.

This is why I don’t use public transportation any more. I stopped using it in 2016 because it was way too hard and stressful to navigate on my own.

Disability and illness keeps us in poverty

Out of pocket healthcare expenses that healthy, able-bodied people never think of include:

• Medications. Even WITH coverage, patients spend a ridiculous amount of money on meds.
• Supplements and vitamins as most of us have deficiencies or can’t absorb nutrients easily.
• Frequent healthcare and hospital visits, including dental care. As cheap as healthcare is in Taiwan, the costs of these visits add up quickly.
• Medical supplies add up: Mobility aids, hospital beds, bandages, ice packs, heating pads, support pillows, braces, etc.
• Transportation to and from healthcare visits
• Disability transpo in Taiwan is rough. Disability taxies start at NT$400
• Cost of parking and inconvenience of parking if the patient cannot get a handicap parking permit
• Access to wheelchair accessible vehicles
• In-person personal assistance
• Mobility aids are expensive: Canes, walkers, wheelchairs, rollators, customized chairs and more
• Prosthetics: The patient also bears most of the expense. I have friends who live with disintegrating prosthetics until coverage comes through.
• Adaptive devices (hearing aids, voice aids, visual aids, etc.)
• Dietary needs – diet is expensive

Higher healthcare costs, lower quality care, less preventative care

Everything is infinitely more expensive when you are disabled. Services come at a premium. Many of us live at poverty level because of disability.^Source

Financial stress is a huge burden. Most of us burn through our savings or don’t have savings. We often struggle to cover the costs of basic living expenses on top of our healthcare needs.

As for preventative care, it is a constant struggle to stay on top of ‘maintanence’ appointments. I’m too busy pushing through with my emergency appointments. Then I have to recover from there. There’s no rest in between and no time to do anything else.

One clear and personal example for me is dental care. Have you ever thought about going to the dentist if you’re in a wheelchair or have some other form of disability? Disabled people need regular check-ups. Yet we know that sitting in a dentist chair is going to cause problems. Often, dentists are not aware of what our needs are. (Dentists are supposed to be ON our medical team and advising appropriately.) My experience is that rarely happens.

Lack of community support, awareness, and understanding

Many disabled people require long-term and short-term services and support that includes assistance with day to day living living activities. Some examples include needing help getting out of bed, getting dressed, staying clean, making and eating meals, going to the bathroom, or going outside.

Not everyone needs a personal care attendant all day. Some of us might require help once a day or once a week.

All of us depend on the care that supports us in getting through each day. It can be very hard to find good, consistent help and support.

Discrimination, emotional stress, and social isolation

Negative attitudes towards the disabled prevent us from taking part in family, work, and community activities.

Negative views can be held by families of the disabled and by the community. These attitudes, along with lack of access in daily activities, result in stress. Stress creates worse health. It’s a vicious cycle that we can never escape.

We feel like a burden. Asking for help is hard. In avoiding asking for help, we often get into situations that are dangerous and make us worse.

When people can’t access basic amenities, we are prevented from participating in life and daily activities. Transportation issues, obstacles to navigate, or inaccessible venues can often result in depression, anxiety, and social isolation.

In Taiwan, I’ve had countless ‘accessibility problems:

• Public ‘handicapped bathrooms’ are often inaccessible due to poor design flaws
• Even when I have let venues know that I’m coming in advance, I’m denied an accessible seat.
• Blocked disability elevators that have been turned off or used as a space to keep trash
• I’ve had restaurants tell me that first-floor seating is reserved and I need to sit on the second floor. Their solution is to carry me and my wheelchair up. This is a huge no-no.

Opportunities for social engagement become smaller based on our inability to navigate physical surroundings. My world is so small now thanks to disability.

Physical barriers and lack of resources

Systemic barriers are the laws, policies, practices, or strategies designed by the government or organizations that discriminate against people with disabilities.

All people with disabilities, in theory, are covered by Taiwan law. But one huge lesson I’ve learned in Taiwan is what the law says and what actually happens are always very different. The law does not extend to most foreign residents.

Physical barriers are environments that are inaccessible because of how they are designed. It’s no secret in Taiwan that engineers do not consult disabled people when they are designing disability services.

“It’s easy to find facilities that satisfy the regulations for accessibility, but which – in practical terms – are useless,” says Chang. He urges Taiwan to adopt the principles of “universal design,” which makes buildings, products and environments accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability or other factors.“^Source

Taiwan is littered with unusable ‘accessible’ designs

How can you design public disability services if you haven’t consulted the people who use them?

Examples include blocked sidewalks that force handicapped people into the streets. There are many buildings with no wheelchair access. Bad lighting creates poor visibility for people with vision problems. Narrow, uneven sidewalks in Taiwan clearly aren’t meant for mobility aids.

Taiwan’s engineers, architects, builders, designers, and city planners must put accessibility features at the top of the list.

What’s the point of slapping a disability sign on something when it can’t be used?

Communication barriers affect people who have disabilities with hearing, seeing, speaking, reading, writing, or understanding. Communication is at the heart of everything we do. Humans need all kinds of communication to work, build relationships, and find support.

We can improve on communications by allowing disabled individuals to participate via video conference platforms. We can include ASL interpreters, braille and electronic readings at places of businesses.

Don’t get me started on accessible websites in Taiwan. They don’t exist!

If you want to know what an accessible site is, look in the top left corner, click on that wheelchair and audio reader, and learn how an individual can toggle a website to suit their needs.

No employment opportunities in Taiwan

Most employment opportunities are out of reach for disabled individuals and chronically ill patients. Unfortunately, businesses in Taiwan are not equipped to accommodate them.

It’s common to run into attitudes that assume a disabled person might be contagious or is unsightly here in Taiwan. Assumptions are rampant that we can not produce the same kind of work as an able-bodied person does.

Do I come across as someone who can’t get things done? Online you’d have no idea I’m disabled. The amount of content I produce is huge and I’m able to do that BECAUSE of my disability. We CAN do it if we’re given the chance and the right working conditions.

Employers simply might see disability as that old term from the 80s – useless and worthless. They might not understand that many disabled individuals are talented and creative problem-solvers.

Disabled individuals can work, but might not have an understanding employer. Employers might not recognize that some individuals work best later in the day. Being open to flexible schedules is a must.

Taiwan must meet the needs of people with disabilities

We can challenge the norm if employers are willing to step out of their comfort zone. They need to give better thought to workplace accommodations. A person doesn’t need to be at their desk five days a week to be effective.

I have less usable hours in a work day, but I can produce just as much work as an able-bodied person.

The biggest single factor hindering progress, he says, “is that people still see accessibility as a charity issue, and a goal they should work toward out of pity for the disabled, not because disabled people have a right to access.”^Source

Having a disability means constantly trying to prove you’re enough!

We should not ‘be given help’ out of a sense of charity.

We deserve to be included in all aspects of life, just like everyone else. Being differently abled does not mean we can’t achieve our dreams and goals, just like everyone else.

In fact, most of us are achieving our dreams and goals despite society not believing in us.

Read more of my work on disability rights in Taiwan

• I Am Not My Disability (2023)
• Traveling as a Disabled Person in 2023
• Invisible in Taiwan: What Disabled Life is Like in Taipei (2018)
• International Day of Persons With Disabilities in Taiwan – Dec 3 (2020)
• The Cost of Maintaining An Income When You Are Chronically Ill (2020)
• What I Want People To Know About Invisible Disabilities (2021)
• Disability Awareness: Did You Know? (2020)
• Invisible Disability Awareness Week (2022)
• Believe Us: Invisible Illness Awareness (2019)
• Testing Out Taiwan’s Robotic Exoskeleton Technology for People With Mobility Problems (2018)

Additional Resource Articles

• Disability in Taiwan: Wikipedia
• How Well Does Taiwan Support People with Disabilities (2021)
• Taiwan Demographics of disabled persons as of August 2023 – These stats don’t make any sense when we compare them with global disability percentages.
• Taiwan Access For All Association
• Eden Social Welfare Foundation
• Creating Better Systems of Care For People with Disabilities
• WHO Disability Fact Sheet

Don’t Forget To Pin It!

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to write about it, Sheryl.