3.
Reasonable accommodations were not made in pandemic prevention
measures for different types of disabilities. At the beginning of the pandemic,
persons with disabilities were affected by obstacles in and around pharmacies
(e.g., stairs in front of pharmacies, pedestrian arcades, sidewalks and roads with
parked cars and scooters or stacked with items, etc.), which prevented them from
lining up and successfully entering to purchase face masks. Mandatory mask
policy caused persons with hearing impairments who rely on lip reading or facial
expressions to experience difficulties and inconvenience when communicating.
Mentally and cognitively handicapped persons also had difficulties with wearing
face masks for long periods of time and with social distancing.
4.
The pandemic has further exacerbated the lack of accessibility.
(1) Since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020, persons with disabilities
have shared their experiences in negative pressure isolation wards. Not only
were their families prohibited from accompanying them and taking care of
them, but the lack of accessible facilities in these wards also caused them
difficulties such as being unable to go to the bathroom or change clothes.
Some could not even move themselves from their wheelchair to the hospital
bed, which lead to them sitting in their wheelchairs for two full days.
However, to this day the MOHW has not managed to compile information
about and state the numbers of negative pressure isolation wards with the
required accessible facilities. Not until April 9, 2021 did the MOHW propose
the Subsidy Program for Accessible Healthcare Environment at Medical
Institutions to encourage medical facilities to improve the accessibility of
the facilities within their negative pressure isolation wards. Even so, with
review procedures expected to be completed at the end of 2021, the 37
hospitals and 2,439 clinics which have applied have not yet made
improvements. Additionally, with the recent worsening of the pandemic, the
MOHW has had no time for improvement projects and complementary
supporting measures.
(2) Both government agencies and schools have implemented pandemic
prevention measures for entering and exiting buildings. Though these
measures are necessary, pandemic prevention route planning failed to take
7