First off, I need to give full disclosure and say that Shawn did not come on this trip with me. However, in saying that, I have travelled with him for 10+ years so I am fully aware what requirements he would need to review the accessibility. Many years ago I lived in Japan and this was my first time returning to Asia in over 25 years. As most people know, it is not the most accessible continent but there are a few countries that are progressive with accessibility and Taiwan is one of them. I did not have to worry about accessible transportation or accommodations but I did ask questions of the locals to get as much information as possible. One thing I noticed was that there was a lot of wheelchair users out and about so that is always an encouraging thing.
I took as many pictures as I could to give everyone a good idea of the main tourist attractions and tourist areas.
First off, we stayed in the Tango Hotel in the Xinji district. This hotel was not only in a fantastic area (close to Taipei 101 area and metro station) but it was very resonable cost-wise. I am not sure if they had a fully accessible roll-in shower but there was a walk-in shower. If you are someone travelling with a companion than I feel this could be doable. There was a small lip into the shower but I feel I would have been able to get Shawn’s commode chair into it. Wheelchair travels travelling alone would not be able to stay in this type of room unless they were able to transfer to a commode chair themselves over the lip.
Metro
The metro system is very easy to navigate and all the stops we went to were accessible. The system was very modern and all the elevator access and washrooms were easy to see and the signage was fantastic.
Transportation
Accessible taxis are not readily available and do need to be booked in advance. I took a picture of this taxi for reference.
Tourist Attractions
The places we visited that are definitely accessible for wheelchair users are:
National Palace Museum
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
Taipei 101
Longshan Temple
Ximending Area
Confucius Temple and Baoan Temple
Makong Temple
Shilin Night Market – very very busy and crowded. If you want to go I would suggest going as soon as it starts and then get out before most people arrive.
In saying this it is always best to confirm with the locations that it will meet your needs.
Be careful and not assume that signage means accessible because not all entrances are actually accessible (see photo below). The sidewalks were all ramped in most tourist areas but a few tend to be steep. The ramps are more for scooters to drive on the sidewalks and not necessarily for wheelchairs.
Accessible Getaways 