To meet the needs of Taiwan's aging society and the disabled population, the CPA is committed to building a green and friendly environment in national parks. Most national parks are located in mountainous or seaside areas with rugged terrain and inconvenient transportation. It is a great challenge to build a barrier-free environment. In 2010, the CPA formulated the Improvement Program for National Park Friendly and Barrier-free Environments. To expand the scope of barrier-free environments and improve quality of service, the program was extended in 2015 with a long-term planning (2016-2019) stage that advocates opening at least one accessible trail per year. The CPA hopes to elevate accessible designs in national park environments to universal designs, and plans to set up a national park barrier-free environment service network.
In terms of the physical environment, the CPA has completed improvements to existing buildings in each park, and made their surrounding environments accessible. The CPA has also looked for potential areas that can become accessible recreational zones to improve barrier-free environments. According to regulations in the Design Standards of Accessible Facilities in Activity Venues Under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior promulgated on October 22, 2015, accessible venues in national parks must be announced by the Ministry of the Interior. Following the announcement of the Maobitou Park Visitor Center Accessible Trail in Kenting National Park on January 4, 2017; the Black-faced Spoonbill Protection Area Bird-Watching Pavilion Accessible Area in Taijiang National Park on July 4; the Erziping Recreation Area Accessible Trail in Yangmingshan National Park on March 12, 2018; the Southernmost Accessible Trail and Lungluan Lake Nature Center Accessible Trail in Kenting National Park on July 24; the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Forest Recreation Area Accessible Trail in Kinmen National Park on August 30; and the Xiaoyoukeng Recreation Area Accessible Space in Yangmingshan National Park on January 4, 2019 (7 in total), the South Bay Recreation Area Accessible Area in Kenting National Park was announced on July 25 this year (2019).
The CPA plans to provide at least one national park accessible trail each year. After all the trails are completed, they will provide over 10 kilometers of splendid scenic trails. There are 7 more accessible areas scheduled to be built and announced: The Qingtiangang Grassland Scenic Area Accessible Trail of Yangmingshan National Park; the Tataka Recreation Area Accessible Trail of Yushan National Park; the Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition Accessible Trail of Kenting National Park; the Shanyue Suspension Bridge Accessible Trail of Taroko National Park; the Wuling Visitor Center Accessible Trail of Shei-Pa National Park; the Sun Yat-Sen Forest, Qingshanping and Sanyou Garden Accessible Trail of Kinmen National Park; and the Wangzailiao Sandbank Accessible Trail of Taijiang National Park.
As for software developments, the CPA has used inventories of park buildings and surrounding barrier-free environments taken by national parks in 2010 as the basis to make a second inventory in 2015, and establish infrastructure information for each national park. This second inventory included: buildings that are open to the public and surrounding barrier-free environments (including the administration centers of National Park Headquarters, visitor centers, and service stations), and outdoor accessible infrastructures open to the public in each area. The data would serve as reference for later projects and improvements, and used to establish a public facilities data system.
Simultaneously, the CPA has worked to promote national park accessible travel itineraries. Overall barrier-free environment planning and construction have been completed in every national park except for the Marine National Park, which has no recreation areas. Accessible tour recommendations have also been posted on the parks' information platforms with information about relevant events, as to improve the quality of accessible tourism and show the government's spirit of service. So far, the CPA has completed an Accessible Tourism in National Parks of Taiwan guide and 10 national park accessible travel pamphlets. These can be downloaded and printed from the websites of the CPA and national parks.
National parks have long been committed to creating a friendly environment for elderly and disabled people. In the future, the CPA will build a blueprint for a barrier-free environment network in national parks without violating the founding principles of the latter. Through ecological experiences and implementation of environmental education, the CPA will also strive to improve the sustainable management of national parks in Taiwan to provide richer and more diverse barrier-free environments for its citizens.
(Xiaoyoukeng RecreationArea Accessible Space in Yangmingshan National Park)
(South Bay RecreationArea Accessible Area in Kenting National Park)
