Sign Language Interpretation Center, Counseling Room, and Nongain Shelter Opening Ceremony Held Before the 24th... Expected to Promote Social Participation and Language Rights of Hearing and Speech Disabled
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) will relocate and expand the Yangcheon-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center and Deaf Shelter (Director Yoo Jae-sung), holding the relocation and opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 24th.
The relocated Yangcheon-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center (217, 68 Mokdongjungangbuk-ro) has been newly reorganized and prepared within a newly constructed residential-commercial complex building secured through a donation as part of the redevelopment project of Mokdong Jeil Market, with a total floor area of 202.14㎡.
With 130 million KRW secured from the district budget, the center has established a deaf shelter, sign language interpretation center office, education room, and counseling room. Going forward, various projects will be promoted to advocate for the rights and welfare of the hearing- and speech-impaired, and it will also be used as a venue for information exchange for them.
The Yangcheon-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center provides video interpretation, sign language interpretation, and counseling services across all areas of daily life requiring communication between hearing- and speech-impaired individuals and non-disabled people, including medical, home, education, and government office use. It also leads the promotion of sign language by operating visiting sign language classes for local residents.
Since its establishment in January 2010, it has supported interpretation, counseling, and education for 2,617 hearing- and speech-impaired residents in the area (53,539 in Seoul as of December 2019).
In addition, the center has actively promoted various welfare projects such as community rehabilitation programs for the hearing- and speech-impaired, social education, family empowerment programs, disability awareness improvement projects, community linkage, and the distribution of information and communication devices, all aimed at enhancing happiness and advocating for the rights of the hearing- and speech-impaired.
The center employs eight staff members, including Korean sign language interpreters, hearing-impaired interpreters, and Yangcheon-gu Office sign language interpreters, providing a total of 21,815 sign language interpretation, counseling, and education services last year alone.
Also, 5,377 hearing- and speech-impaired individuals used the deaf shelter as a space for information exchange.
Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, stated, “I hope the Yangcheon-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center and Deaf Shelter will become a comfortable resting place and a place of harmony symbolizing the happiness and welfare of the hearing- and speech-impaired, and I ask for your generous support and encouragement.”
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