It’s been a while since I posted anything to my blog and a lot has changed. Due to a life-altering injury, I’m no longer practicing as a naturopathic doctor. I’m still cooking up delicious food and gluten-free baked goods and trying to spend as much time in nature as possible. And, my access needs have changed pretty substantially so hiking is off the table but writing about my adventures in wheelchair travel are now where it’s at. You might not know this about me, but I love to travel! Just last week I got back from a trip to Taipei, Beijing & Xi’an. While there are some folks making amazing content about what it’s like to travel with a mobility disability, my friends have encouraged me to start sharing some of my wheelchair-accessible travel tips, as well as the challenges.
Big disclaimer – I’m a manual rigid wheelchair user (on paper I’m a T7 paraplegic due to an incomplete spinal cord injury with a rare sequelae condition that you can read about on my Insta) with lots of arm and trunk control and the ability to do a wheelie to get up or down a single step. Although I use a wheelchair to get around, I can stand and even walk a little with the right aids, and I’m not opposed to crawling or bum scooting if I need to. I’m not so skilled (or brave) yet that I’ve mastered higher curb jumps or riding an escalator, but I can self-propel for 10+ km per day on relatively flat ground and I can transfer from my chair to the floor or a car pretty easily, so I don’t usually take accessible taxis since my wheelchair has quick release wheels and fits into most car trunks. Lots info here may not be relevant for other wheelchair/mobility device users. I defer to content creators with higher-level injuries and/or power chair users for their lived experience.
Taipei, Taiwan
I have been a big fan of Taipei (Taiwan) for years. I’m super lucky that I’ve had the privilege to visit twice before, but this was my first time seeing the city as a disabled tourist.
Getting around
Zhongshan streetscape
Taipei is super easy to navigate on streets and public transit. Sidewalks on major streets are wide and flat (not angled like in Toronto, where I’m always working only one arm because of the slant) and I never encountered an intersection without a curb cut. Smaller streets don’t have sidewalks but everyone just hugs the side of the road and sometimes there are even painted green lanes for pedestrians, especially in areas near schools.
The MRT, the underground metro/subway system, has wide tickets gates and at least one elevator at every one of its 100+ stations. Elevator locations are clearly marked on signage both inside and outside the stations. Every station has at least one ticket vending machine that’s wheelchair accessible and a waiting area on the platform (at the first train car area) clearly marked for wheelchair passengers. Platform gaps are pretty narrow and train cars are generally level with the platform. Reserved spaces for wheelchairs are in the first train car but you can easily and safely board from any door. More info about transit accessibility and pictures are on the MRT website.
Tourist attractions
Zhongshan linear park
Since it wasn’t my first trip to Taipei, I didn’t go to places like the National Palace Museum or Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall or Taipei 101 but I’m fairly certain all of Taipei’s main attractions are fully wheelchair accessible. I spent most of my time wandering around Zhongshan, the neighbourhood I was staying in. Zhongshan linear park is not to be missed. It’s a raised park, complete with frequently placed, reasonably sloped ramps to get up and down along a street with tons of great shops and restaurants. If you need a break from the heat or rain, there are regularly spaced elevators that take you down to the eslite underground R79 book street just beneath the park.
I also visited MOCA Taipei (the Museum of Contemporary Art), which had a ramped, barrier-free entry, wheelchair-accessible washroom, and elevator to access the 2nd floor gallery spaces. Visitors with disabilities get free admission, which seems to be generally true at most (all?) city attractions. Taipei Travel has more info on accessible tourism.
Eating out
I wasn’t there for too long this trip and admittedly didn’t eat out at too many smaller restaurants or cafes but I never had trouble finding a place to eat that was barrier-free or at street level, even in neighbourhoods like Zhongshan, Ximen, and Xinyi. Staff were super kind and helpful and most places that had washrooms on site were wheelchair-accessible, often with automatic doors, grab bars, and roll-under sinks.
Challenges
To be honest, I didn’t really encounter any, except for navigating being out and about in the rain, which is just as much of a problem at home. For sure, there are plenty of small shops and restaurants that aren’t yet barrier-free, but hopefully the city encourages more businesses to improve their inclusion and accessibility for locals and visitors alike.
tl;dr
Kangle Park
Taiwan is super accessible. Most places have barrier-free entry, ramps, and/or elevators. People are friendly and helpful. Transportation is a breeze and getting around the city is fairly seamless with sidewalks and curb cuts on all the major streets and efficient, wide-spread, accessible public transit. Be sure to eat lots of niu rou mian (牛肉麵), xiao long bao (小籠包), and dan bing (蛋餅) while you’re there. Wash it down with soooo much boba milk tea (珍珠奶茶).