Seongdong-gu to Invest 33 Billion KRW in Specialized Library for People with Developmental Disabilities and More

This year, a budget of 33 billion KRW will be invested in 33 welfare projects for the disabled, including the establishment of a specialized library for people with developmental disabilities.

Focus on welfare projects for the disabled such as designating disability-friendly hair salons and opening new day care centers.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, greeting at the opening ceremony of the Together Daycare Center last September

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will invest a total budget of 33 billion KRW in 33 welfare projects for the disabled this year, including the creation of a specialized library for people with developmental disabilities.

First, to expand infrastructure for people with developmental disabilities whose care needs are rapidly increasing, a specialized library for developmental disabilities will be established. Scheduled to open in early March, the library will be designed as a place where people with developmental disabilities, who tend to make sounds or exhibit aggressive behavior due to their disability characteristics, as well as "slow learners" with borderline intelligence, can comfortably read books and study.

In addition, a new day care center for people with developmental disabilities will be established to provide daytime educational activities, independence, and vocational training. This reflects the increasing number of people on the waiting list who want to be admitted due to difficulties in home care. Seongdong-gu opened the Together Day Care Center in September last year and currently operates a total of three centers.

Moreover, a disability-friendly hair salon that people with disabilities can freely use will be created. For most people with disabilities, the threshold to visit existing hair salons is very high. Therefore, the goal is to create an environment where people with disabilities, who have relied on volunteers or only used existing welfare center hair services, can comfortably receive hair care near their homes. The district plans to designate disability-friendly hair salons by region through support such as installing entrance ramps and promoting businesses.

Since February, support has also been provided for third-party liability insurance enrollment for all disabled people in Seongdong-gu who use electric assistive devices in case of accidents during use.

In addition, 33 projects in various fields such as ▲day care services for the disabled ▲expansion of activity support services for the disabled ▲expansion of jobs for the disabled ▲smart insole projects to prevent missing persons with developmental disabilities will be promoted to accelerate care, independent living support, and infrastructure expansion for the disabled.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "This year’s welfare policies for the disabled have been carefully prepared to reflect the increasingly diverse welfare needs and to help people with disabilities and their families live better lives. We will spare no support to create a society where no one, disabled or non-disabled, is left out and everyone can live together inclusively."