The award ceremony for the 15th Enable Prize, a national award for encouraging people with disabilities to express their enthusiasm for life through literature and artworks, was held at Chang Yung-fa Foundation in Taipei on Oct. 29.
This year, more than 1,000 works created by students and adults with disabilities were submitted to the competition titled "After All, That is Love” to express their passion toward life through art or literary creations.
In addition to submissions from people with disabilities, the 15th edition offered a new category called "Stories of Feelings,” which allowed friends and partners to show their love and tell stories of their handicapped counterparts through writing.
Wang Li-juan (王麗娟), the first prize winner in the new category this year, told stories from the perspective of a psychiatrist. Wang explained how psychiatrists understand, care, and help their patients with disabilities by sharing her own experiences.
Founded in 1998 by the Council for Cultural Affairs, the predecessor of the Ministry of Culture, the Enable Prize aims to encourage disabled citizens to express their feelings and passion for life through art and literary creations.
The national award, which is organized by the National Changhua Living Arts Center since 2011, has received more than 5,000 submissions and applauded over 300 winners. The competition has inspire many non-handicapped individuals to renew their passion for life after witnessing the courageous participants.
The judge panel this year included Wu Cheng (吳晟), Lin Dai-man (林黛嫚), Chang Hsin-chi (張信吉), Zhou Hui-ling (周惠玲), Lu Wei-pai (呂偉白), Yan Ai-ling (顏艾琳), Zheng Yu-die (鄭玉疊), Hao Kuang-tsai (郝廣才), Page Tsou (鄒駿昇), Cao Shu-ting (曹舒婷), Liang Cui-mei (梁翠梅), and Frankie K. H. Ng(吳其鴻).
The awards ceremony was joined by Dream Catchers (夢想者聯盟), a troupe formed by people with disabilities to celebrate and encourage Enable Prize participants through dance and music performances.
Over 70 student and adult submissions received an award or honorable mention this year.