‘Overcoming Disability’ Seo Mi-hwa, a Visually Impaired Person, Earns PhD from Chosun University, Drawing Attention

Determined After Traffic Accident to Major in 'Social Welfare'

Chosun University Supports Enrollment Including Placement of Students with Disabilities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] A visually impaired person who overcame disability and earned a doctoral degree from Chosun University has become a topic of interest.

The protagonist is Seo Mihwa (54, female), director of the Yudal Disabled Independent Living Support Center and former Mokpo city council member.

Seo lost her central vision due to retinitis pigmentosa starting in the second year of middle school, making it impossible for her to read textbooks or take notes.

At that time, while attending regular middle and high schools, she reportedly received no support for visually impaired students and barely completed the regular education curriculum with the help of her non-disabled friends.

On the day of the university entrance exam, Seo’s admission was thwarted due to an exam answer sheet that did not accommodate disabled students.

The event that ironically reignited her passion and will for academics was a ‘traffic accident.’

In her 30s, Seo suffered severe fractures to her arms and legs in a traffic accident and was bedridden in the hospital for about six months, unable to even manage her own toileting.

During this time, she realized a simple but overlooked fact.

Aside from her poor vision, all her other bodily functions had been healthy until then.

Reflecting deeply on the days she had lived complaining in despair, trapped by her visual impairment and unable to do anything in advance, she transferred to the Department of Social Welfare at Mokpo National University at the age of 36.

She also began a disability women’s human rights movement together with women with disabilities like herself in the Jeonnam region.

Seo was the first in Jeonnam to open a counseling center for female disabled sexual violence victims (Mokpo Women with Disabilities Sexual Violence Counseling Center) and served as co-representative and executive director of the Jeonnam Women with Disabilities Solidarity.

She devoted herself to representing and advocating for the human rights of women with disabilities who suffer double discrimination due to gender and disability, as well as abuse from sexual violence.

In 2010, building on her activities for disabled women, she was elected as a representative of disabled professionals and became a member of the 9th Mokpo City Council.

She then sought to enter graduate school for a doctoral program to engage in more specialized legislative activities, knocking on the doors of several universities.

However, most universities had no experience with visually impaired students, making admission difficult.

Then, in 2012, Chosun University Graduate School’s Department of Social Welfare (School of Administrative Welfare) accepted Seo into their doctoral program.

Moreover, Chosun University assigned a disability student assistant to facilitate her smooth mobility and lecture attendance.

Seo explained, “With the university’s help, I pursued my doctoral studies and developed expertise, which enabled me to propose and amend over ten disability-related ordinances such as the Disabled Persons’ Human Rights Protection Ordinance and the Ordinance for the Promotion of Convenience for Transportation Vulnerable Persons during my legislative activities.”

Recognizing these achievements, Seo was selected as the best local council member and received various awards. In 2012, she was also invited by the U.S. Department of State to attend an international leadership seminar.

After completing the coursework for her doctoral program, Seo faced difficulties collecting data for her dissertation, but with her advisor’s support, she overcame these obstacles and will finally receive her doctoral degree at the graduate school graduation ceremony on the 25th.

In 2015, Seo completed a study titled “The Effect of Preliminary Activity Assistant Sex Education in Jeonnam Region on the Sexual Awareness of Persons with Disabilities” under the guidance of Professor Kim Yongseop (School of Administrative Welfare).

This research was recognized as rare by the American policy research journal ‘Journal of Public Policy and Administration,’ which later requested her participation in further studies. Subsequently, in 2020, she successfully completed her doctoral dissertation titled “The Effect of Activity Support Services for the Visually Impaired on the Will to Live Independently” (Advisor: Kim Yongseop, Co-advisor: Park Heeseo).

Seo stated, “Because I had to convert general materials into forms accessible to visually impaired persons for investigation and analysis, the design and research process took three to four times longer than for non-disabled students. Professors patiently waited and provided appropriate advice and support according to the situation, allowing me to complete the dissertation review.”

Advisor Kim Yongseop expressed his support, saying, “I hope Seo Mihwa, as a professional with visual impairment in the local community, will play a significant role in actively improving systems and policies that cause discrimination against persons with disabilities and in realizing an equal society.”