Narrative 4: The effect of disability policy on lives

I describe my own experience of education and employment as a woman with spinal muscular atrophy. When I was studying in elementary school, my mother had to carry me to the class on the second floor because there was no elevator in the building. As policy changed, education and support gradually became more accessible to me, although many barriers remained. From graduate school, to advocacy, to communication with the Taiwanese government, I understand the relationship between the historical context of Taiwan’s disability social movement and the changes in my surrounding environments and institutions. This experience encourages me to believe: only when people with disabilities challenge and advocate persistently to change government policies can the rights and lives of people with disabilities be protected.