It's been more than three years since the Disabled Employment Act was passed by the legislature, but has the workplace become more friendly to the handicapped?

Many social welfare groups do not think so, saying that some local corporations would rather spend millions of NT dollars in fines than give the disabled a much needed chance to work.

Finding a job is extremely tough for people with disabilities, even after the passing of the Disabled Employment Law in 2007, which stipulates that companies with a staff of 67 or more should hire at least 1% of handicapped workers.

However, up until last September, nearly 1,500 companies were still yet to meet the standard specified by the new regulation, including some of the largest and most prestigious employers in Taiwan, such as tech giants TSMC, UMC and AUO, which would rather pay millions of NT dollars in fine than comply to the law.

Many social groups have criticized these corporations for not having set a good example to the public, saying that they should be ashamed of themselves.

With more than 3,000 vacancies for physically challenged employees still unfilled, these groups are now urging local businesses to take up their social responsibilities and start hiring more handicapped workers, and they also hope the government can do more to help solve the problem.