"Anyone Can Go"... National Integration Committee Launches Special Committee for Improving Mobility Convenience for Persons with Disabilities

Centered on Experts from Various Fields, Social Activists, and Major Organizations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Committee on National Integration held the launch ceremony and the 1st meeting of the "Special Committee on Improving Mobility Convenience for Persons with Disabilities" on the morning of the 26th at the Irum Center in Yeouido.

The National Integration Committee explained the reason for forming this special committee, stating, "If the difficulties in mobility faced by persons with disabilities are alleviated and more persons with disabilities and their families participate in social activities, it will contribute to realizing national integration where everyone lives well together without boundaries between persons with and without disabilities."

The government has announced plans to strengthen the mobility rights of persons with disabilities, including mandatory replacement of city buses with low-floor buses when large-scale or end-of-life bus replacements occur, to realize the national policy goals of "Warm Companionship, a Society Where Everyone is Happy" and the national task of "A Discrimination-Free Society through Customized Integrated Support for Persons with Disabilities."

Furthermore, as the proportion of registered persons with disabilities aged 65 or older recently reached 49.9%, and the proportion of single-person households is 27.2%, the importance of social care for persons with disabilities is increasing, and the desire for independence is also growing.

However, many persons with disabilities experience inconvenience in using transportation, which restricts their social participation. According to the 2020 Disability Survey, the top reason persons with disabilities could not receive medical treatment was inconvenience in traveling to medical institutions, accounting for 29.8%.

The National Integration Committee explained that the special committee is composed of Chairman Seok Visit (Social and Cultural Subcommittee member of the National Integration Committee), experts and social activists with expertise and field experience in the mobility convenience sector for persons with disabilities, and key representatives from major organizations that can represent the opinions of persons with disabilities.

Specifically, the members include Professor Maria Gong from the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology at Daegu University, Vice President Younghee Yang of the Korea Brain Lesion Disability Human Rights Association, Social Worker Jiyoung Oh of the Seoul Metropolitan Cerebral Palsy Welfare Center, Secretary-General Yeonju Lee of the Korea Federation of the Blind, Policy Chairman Chanwoo Lee of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association, Attorney Boyoon Choi of the law firm Dae-ryun, WHO Headquarters Health Aging Consortium Specialist Jia Han, Chairperson Yunhee Hong of the cooperative "Muui," and Secretary-General Hyun-geun Hong of the Korea Federation of Physical Disabilities.

The National Integration Committee stated that the special committee plans to review alternatives that the public can empathize with and that persons with disabilities can directly feel. First, they intend to re-examine problems and solutions from the perspective of policy demanders rather than suppliers, and carefully consider the mobility difficulties experienced according to the type and degree of disability.

Additionally, they will seek solutions to create an environment where people can move "seamlessly," including linking intra-regional and inter-regional transportation networks, reducing disparities in mobility convenience between regions, and providing customized information.

They plan to devise ways to expand not only physical infrastructure such as transportation means and passenger facilities but also to promote a disability-friendly culture in society so that the infrastructure can be effectively utilized.

Moreover, they aim to find roles the special committee can play, such as inter-ministerial coordination, to ensure the proper implementation of government mid- to long-term plans related to improving mobility convenience for persons with disabilities.

Kim Han-gil, Chairman of the National Integration Committee, said, "In a society where persons with disabilities can go anywhere, elderly people with mobility difficulties, families going out with young children and strollers, and all members of our society can go anywhere." He added, "The special committee will re-examine problems from the perspective of policy demanders rather than suppliers and seek practical solutions through public-private cooperation to improve mobility convenience for persons with disabilities."