Wheelchair Kindergarten – Never alone

At 8am in the morning, members of “Wheelchair Kindergarten (輪椅幼稚園)” gather one after another in the cloister of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. “Class teacher”, Yeh Yu-yi (葉裕益) warmly greats each and every member on arrival, before leading them through a morning exercise routine and singing old Japanese songs familiar to their generation. The members are divided into different grades: 80 years old and below is nursery; 80 – 85 years old is lower kindergarten; 85 to 90 years old is upper kindergarten; and above 90 is preschool. Recently, Yeh Yu-yi discovered that all of his students are now preschool! 

Already established for 6 years, the idea for Wheelchair Kindergarten came to Yeh Yu-yi while caring for his 100-year-old mother. Yeh Yu-yi was moved after realizing that though domestic care assistants would take their elderly clients outside, they would simply sit in their wheelchairs blankly staring into the distance. Wheelchair Kindergarten encourages elderly people to get outdoors, giving them a sense of belonging and something to look forward to. Seeing these senior citizens smiling and full of energy is Yeh Yu-yi’s greatest reward. 

Wheelchair Kindergarten – Never alone

URL: https://www.peopo.org/news/291623

(以下是中文對照)

輪椅幼稚園 長青不孤單

早上八點半，「輪椅幼稚園」的成員們陸續來到中正紀念堂的迴廊。「班導師」葉裕益，熱情的向每一個成員打招呼，他帶著成員們做體操，唱長輩們都相當有共鳴的日本歌，還將成員們依年紀分班：80歲以下的叫做幼幼班，80歲到85歲是小班，85歲到90歲算中班，90歲以上才算大班，結果葉裕益發現，現在他們都差不多是大班的年紀了。

輪椅幼稚園創立已經6年，成立輪椅幼稚園，是因為葉裕益陪伴百歲的母親時，看見其他老人家雖然被看護帶出來，卻只能一個人坐在輪椅上，孤單地看著遠方，茫然的眼神觸動了葉先生，開始成立輪椅幼稚園。輪椅幼稚園鼓勵老人家走出戶外，賦予他們一種歸屬感，生活也多了一份期待。而長輩們變得有活力，發自內心露出快樂的笑容，就是葉裕益身為輪椅幼稚園班導師最好的禮物。