Cultural exchange has always been a major focus of interaction between countries and regions. However, to a large extent, it is only for ordinary people, but not for persons with disabilities. For this reason, Eden Social Welfare Foundation is determined to create a platform for those with disabilities in the Asia Pacific region to engage in cultural exchange and preservation. Apart from ensuring that persons with disabilities will not be shut out from arts and cultural exchange, more importantly, this platform will showcase Taiwan's creativity and cultural diversity to the Asia Pacific region, fully demonstrating Taiwan's soft power.
In June 2017, Eden launched the 2017 Asia Pacific Accessible Arts Festival, inviting Thailand, Vietnam and other countries to participate. The festival offered a stage for persons with disabilities to perform, exhibited works by persons with disabilities, and featured Taiwan's accessible facilities for participants to experience. Through different forms of art creation in a diverse and interactive way, such as painting, puppetry, and art therapy workshops, the exhibition presented the incomparable artistic talent of persons with disabilities.
Under the framework of CRPD, countries have basically arrived at an initial consensus on the equal treatment toward persons with disabilities. In addition to the minimum basic needs such as employment, schooling, and medical care, an accessible environment and cultural exchange are indispensable to improve the quality of life. Of course, persons with disabilities also have the equal rights such as arts and culture appreciation and cultural creation just as the general public. To ensure the rights of the persons with disabilities, there is a need and urgency for this platform to be carried out.
The online gallery will break through the restrictions caused by the pandemic and the blocks of national borders, allowing Eden Social Welfare Foundation to continue to built iconic platform for artistic and cultural exchanges between persons with disabilities across cultures, countries, and languages in the Asia-Pacific region.
