27.
The NHRC asserts that accessible facilities offered by medical institutions are
currently insufficient, and that health-related education and notifications for
women to receive physical examinations lack readable and translated versions,
making it inconvenient and difficult for women with disabilities to access
medical resources. The health of these women is thereby compromised and
their medical treatment delayed. Such inadequacy creates challenges and even
endangers women receiving fertility/maternity examinations and preventive
check-ups.13 The NHRC recommends that the ministry pay more attention to the
situations and needs of women with disabilities, set clear targets and schedules,
actively supervise medical institutions to ensure that they provide the proper
equipment and support services (e.g., communication assistance for persons with
visual impairment or hearing impairment) for women with disabilities (and
actively check the quantities of said equipment and services), and follow up on
the women’s actual medical treatment and health service usage status. These
endeavors assure that women with disabilities can easily access medical treatment
and health services, thus protecting their health and right to medical treatment.
28.
The CRPD Second Report revealed that in senior high schools, the dropout rate
of female students with disabilities was slightly lower than that of their male
counterparts. And in colleges and universities, the percentage differences in
suspension between male and female students with disabilities were within one
13
victims of domestic violence may request services such as home care, a personal assistant, and sign
language interpretation services. Upon receiving such requests, social workers shall make an
assessment and contact the relevant service units to apply for the required services, given that the
requests have been deemed valid. However, in 2019, all 108 women with disabilities (whose
disabilities included physical disabilities, hearing impairment, intellectual disorders, mental disorders,
and multiple disorders) placed in shelters nationwide did not apply for any of the aforementioned
services. An instance of a woman with hearing impairment failing to apply for a sign language
interpreter after she was placed in a shelter was also observed. The lady communicated with her social
workers only through writing, which prevented her from describing her circumstances in detail and
receiving the appropriate services. The MOHW also did not investigate whether women with
disabilities who are victims of domestic violence have difficulty expressing their needs, and whether
the social workers serving these girls or women are aware of the fact that they have to apply for such
services. The ministry only stated the following in its response: “The county and city governments
indicated no use of related services. Additionally, some girls or women with disabilities were only in
the shelters for a short period of time and did not need to apply for special needs services.”
Examples include the stairs are unfavorably designed in mammography vehicles; patients being
required to stand up next to mammography examination equipment; prenatal examination tables being
too high; and gynecological examination equipment and facilities lacking assistive devices.
21