I hope you have been well, and Happy New Year.

My name is Su Nan from Taiwan, a trainee in the 20th cohort.

At the start of 2026, I would like to share a report on my activities over the past year and extend my New Year’s greetings to you all.

First, I would like to report a significant development in my work. Ms. Lin, a trainee from the 6th cohort, and I have been appointed as members of the Task Force for Promoting the Training and Employment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Labor of Taiwan. During my term from 2025 to 2028, I attend regular government meetings and work alongside experts from industry, government, and academia to develop and evaluate policies, legislation, and plans related to vocational training and employment services for persons with disabilities. I am committed to working toward the promotion of equal labor rights for persons with disabilities in Taiwan.

At the December 2025 meeting, I made a proposal. It was a proposal to review the eligibility criteria so that individuals who have not yet been certified as having a disability under the ICF classification system, but who require reasonable accommodation (such as learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral difficulties), can receive support for reasonable accommodation through employment support and vocational rehabilitation services. At the same time, I also proposed strengthening information disclosure so that persons with disabilities and relevant stakeholders can better understand and make use of information and support regarding reasonable accommodation in the workplace. Through the meetings, I came to realize that the Taiwanese government is highly proactive in promoting reasonable accommodation in the workplace and sincerely listens to the voices of the disability community. Currently, the government is in the process of formulating administrative guidelines on reasonable accommodation in the workplace, and local governments are also establishing consultation desks and beginning to provide concrete forms of support.

As a professional, I continue to work in the university’s support office, providing services for students with disabilities.　 During the past two years, I have obtained professional qualifications in Taiwan’s higher education sector as a “Certified Special Education Coordinator” and as “Assessment Personnel for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education.”

In addition, alongside my activities, I serve as an executive supervisor of the Taiwan Association for Disability Rights Promotion (TADR), a disability-led organization, as well as an executive director of the New Vitality Independent Living Association Taipei. I am also participating in local advocacy activities in preparation for Taiwan’s upcoming CRPD government review scheduled for 2026. Furthermore, I also support online exchanges between the Taipei City Independent Living Center and Japan’s Human Care Association, and through learning about the current situation of CILs overseas, I strive to help advance Taiwan’s independent living support policies toward a more diverse and equitable direction. (Photo 1: A scene from an online exchange session with Japan’s Human Care Association, together with members of the New Vitality Independent Living Association Taipei and the Taipei City Independent Living Center.)

In addition, in 2025, I co-founded “Taiwan Youth With Disability” together with young persons with disabilities in Taiwan.　 Going forward, I plan to organize a “Youth Disability Activist Training Camp,” where young people can develop a rights-based perspective as persons with disabilities and be supported in building the skills to engage in advocacy activities using social media and other platforms.

(Photo 2: A board and supervisory meeting with members of the Taiwan Youth With Disability Association.)

In the new year, I will continue to devote myself to advancing reasonable accommodation, fostering young persons with disabilities, and promoting international exchange within the disability community, so that I can contribute to the communities of persons with disabilities in Taiwan and Japan, as well as across the Indo-Pacific region.

To all members of the Duskin family and JSRPD, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued guidance and support, and I respectfully ask for your ongoing advice and encouragement.

I sincerely wish you all good health and happiness. I look forward to your continued support and guidance this year as well.

Note: This document was translated with the assistance of AI tools.