The Arts Promotion Association for the Disabled, R.O.C. was established on June 27, 1999 by prominent figures and visually impaired musicians across the country following the call of former Minister of Justice, Mr. Liao Cheng-Hao. The mission of the Association is to help talented and well-skilled disabled artists obtain opportunities to express their artistic talents, make the most of their special abilities, and create a barrier-free and equal-opportunity platform. We aim to break down the barrier between the disabled and the non-disabled, and eliminate the discrimination between the people who can see and those who cannot see in arts.
Only professional abilities can take off the label of disability, making art back to it essence. Under the leadership of the Honorary Chairman of the Association, Mr. Liao Cheng-Hao, we have achieved great success in education assistance in the last 10 years. Through the assistance of the Association, two visually impaired music majors pursued graduate studies in the United States, and received a doctoral degree in vocal music and a master’s degree in music education respectively. They both have returned to Taiwan and devoted themselves to music education. Their efforts bring a light of hope for equal-opportunity employment in the field of music education.
Lin Jing-Yang: Master’s Degree in Music Education, Morehead State University, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Note: A special thanks for the sponsorship from the National Women’s League of the R.O.C. (NWL). With a full-year scholarship from the NWL, Lin was able to obtain his master’s degree in the U.S. After Lin returned to Taiwan, the public-spirited Mrs. Cecilia Koo, NWL’s secretary general, frequently invited and recommended Lin to perform at various activities for public welfare. Mrs. Koo has been caring about the Association, and giving us many encouragements as well.
Xu Ya-Hui: Doctoral Degree in Vocal Music, University of Maryland, U.S.A.
Note: A special thanks to Mr. Xuan Ming-Zhi, the former Chairman of UMC. With a full-year scholarship from UMC, Xu was able to obtain her doctoral degree in the U.S.
As regards career assistance, we have successfully assisted over 30 disabled artists in getting employed by several companies, and supported over 10 visually impaired bands to be engaged in social care programs, including going to prisons to inspire the prisoners through their excellent performances and personal life stories; going to schools to advocate life education, law-related education, and special education; going to nursing homes to entertain elderly residents; going to orphanages to comfort vulnerable and traumatized children; going to hospitals to give encouragement to patients; and going to disaster areas to help affected residents rebuild confidence.
Under the leadership of the Honorary Chairman of the Association, Mr. Liao Cheng-Hao, we have been to the United States and Mainland China for arts exchange many times. Thus, Taiwanese disabled artists are no longer considered as a disadvantaged minority group that can be seen only by a small group of people. On the contrary, they now can compete equally with non-disabled competitors, and even become Golden Melody Awards (金曲獎) winners.
Wang Jun-Jie: Wang was the string music composer for Hu De-Fu’s Album “Cong Cong” (匆匆). This album was a two-award winner at the 17th Golden Melody Awards.
Note: A special thanks to the Chairman of Kong Yen Foods Co., LTD., Mr. Hsu Chia-Shiuh, for his long term support. Wang has been invited to perform at every activity held by Kong Yen Foods.
“To light up the dark corners of society, you and I can be the light holder.”
Is it all dark if you cannot see?
“Darkness exists only as we contrast it to light. If you cannot see the light, how can you see the dark?” Thus, does blindness mean that you cannot see anything?
“No, blindness doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t see anything at all. No two blind persons’ vision is exactly the same. Some have blurred vision. Though some are totally blind, they can ‘see’ the gradations of sound by ears, touch the varied life by fingers, and find life direction by their skin and breath. You can always ‘see’ through your heart, so visually impaired artists’ achievements in the art field have nothing to do with vision!”
With the sincere invitations from the Honorary Chairman of the Association, Mr. Liao Cheng-Hao, and the Golden Melody Awards winner, Mr. Xiao Huang-Chis, the Chairman of the Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel, Mr. Tsai Bo-Fu, was elected as the 4th Chairman of the Association on June 21, 2012 to lead the Association to achieve a higher goal. To promote a vision-free and barrier-free performing arts platform, the Arts Promotion Association for the Disabled needs your help. The Association is currently supporting over 10 visually impaired performing arts groups. All the group members have a complete music education background. They all majored in music-related subjects, and graduated from ChineseCultureUniversity, TaipeiNationalUniversity of the Arts, Fu Jen Catholic University, etc. with outstanding academic performance. Some of them even pursued advanced studies abroad and earned a Master’s or Ph.D degree. They all hope to engage in social welfare activities and teaching for life. All of these display the result of their extraordinary efforts. Those who were newly graduated or disabled students interested in performing arts especially need our long-term support. They are like vulnerable seedlings and growing flowers in the garden of performing arts, and the Association is the garden that needs you to water.
The number of the disabled people that we serve has kept increasing year by year. However, political instability and economic doldrums had combined to impact social resources, making it difficult to raise funds. The Association is facing the most serious financial crisis since it was established. We really need your immediate support to make us survive the crisis, so that the seedlings and the growing flowers in the garden won’t be severely harmed by the financial difficulty.
Your donation not only can save a welfare organization in danger of closing, but can also directly help those more than hundred families receiving our support gain a sense of security.
You light up a corner of society. Though blind people cannot see the light, they can feel the warmth of it.
We would appreciate your regular donations to help us operate sustainably.
We need your immediate help to save us from closing down.
The Arts Promotion Association for the Disabled, R.O.C.
Donation Hotline: 0938-111197/02-2762-0209 Fax: 02-2762-1609
Address: 1F., No.2, Aly. 3, Ln. 71, Sec. 5, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei, 110, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Postal Transfer Account No. : 19378939