[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] The National Library for Persons with Disabilities held a "Easy-to-Read Book Publication Ceremony" for people with developmental disabilities at 3 p.m. on the 31st in the main conference room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building, unveiling customized books for people with developmental disabilities. The event was jointly hosted by Kim Yeji of the People Power Party, Jo Seungrye, Kang Seonwoo of the Democratic Party, and Jang Hyeyoung of the Justice Party.
On the 31st at 3 PM, at the National Assembly Members' Office Building Grand Conference Room, children's book author Kim Hyun-joo is presenting at the 'Easy-to-Read Book Publication Ceremony' for people with developmental disabilities. [Photo by Seo Mideum]
The event was organized to widely raise awareness of the need for easy-to-read books for people with developmental disabilities who have been marginalized in reading activities and library use, and to promote their production.
An "easy-to-read book" refers to domestically created books and classics adapted into words that are easy to understand for people with developmental disabilities and those with literacy difficulties. Sentence structures and lengths were simplified, and illustrations that help with content comprehension were added.
The production involved speech therapists, special education research experts, and writers. Ultimately, 15 high-quality "easy-to-read books" were completed through verification by people with developmental disabilities themselves.
In particular, with active support from writers and publishers, the original intent was preserved while adjusting the literacy level to make the books easier to read. Participating publishers include ▲Sanha ▲Hyeonamsa ▲Junior RHK ▲Sakyejul ▲Woongjin Junior ▲Donga M&B ▲Jihaksa Arbol.
Easy-to-read books are classified into levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ according to difficulty. Level Ⅱ is designed for readers at the lower elementary school level who can read easily but find it difficult to apply in daily life. Level Ⅲ is tailored to middle school level readers who can read normally but have difficulty with complex sentences or vocabulary.
Notably, Lee Sangkwon’s "The House Duck That Flew to the Sky" (Woongjin Junior), Ko Jeonguk’s "Jang Yeongsil Told by the Teacher" (Sanha Publishing), and Kim Hyunju’s "Thunder, the Dog Who Saves People" (Arbol) were produced in both levels to increase choice.
Kim Kyungyang, director of the Seoul Center for the Promotion of Communication Rights for Persons with Disabilities, who participated in the production, explained, "Since Korean often proceeds with objects and predicates without subjects, children often find it difficult to follow stories. We clearly introduced the protagonist as 'I' and changed numbers to Arabic numerals for easier recognition." She added, "Literacy is like physical strength and must be improved throughout life. The key is for not only people with disabilities but also non-disabled people to find joy in reading."
Kim Hyunju, a children’s book author who also participated in the production, explained, "Previously, we mainly dealt with classics whose original copyrights had expired, but this time, with cooperation from various publishers and authors, it was possible to adapt while preserving the author’s intent. We wrote sentences short, used easy and clear words, and clarified the subject of speech."
Won Jongpil, director of the National Library for Persons with Disabilities, stated, "The production and distribution of easy-to-read books is a starting point for people with developmental disabilities to begin their own reading cultural life. We plan to continue promoting the easy-to-read book production project so that people with developmental disabilities are not excluded from library services and can experience the joy of reading."
Institutions wishing to acquire easy-to-read books can contact the National Library for Persons with Disabilities.
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