Taipei nightclub breaks ground, hosts special events for people with autism

Young people with autism now have a cool place to hang in Taipei City.

Chess Taipei is a nightclub that hosts evening events for its clientele with autism. For one of the parties in September, guests were given surgical face masks and guided by an instructor on stage to dance the night away. About 30 people showed up to the hip-hop club — which was for people who were 18 years old and over. It was a night to remember.

Adam Yi is one of the event’s organizers through the charity he volunteers with, Sport and Recreational Activity Association for People with Autism. Yi was already looking for something like this, now he’s a part of creating it.

“Being the first wasn’t what I was expecting. We just wanted to bring [people with autism] to the nightclub and enjoy,” Yi told the Associated Press.

Deputy Mayor of Taipei Tsai Ping-kun dubbed the event the first of its kind in Asia.

“The reason we are doing that is because of an important belief,” Ping-kun told the Associated Press. “The belief in equal rights. Each person should have the opportunity and the right to use all kinds of facilities in this city.”

The chairman of the organization, Lee Tong-lin, found the event to be moving.

“This is helpful to people with autism, very helpful,” Tong-lin tokd the Associated Press. “As you might have seen, they were all pretty excited when dancing. They were very happy, and they were interacting with each other. They were simply touched.”

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