Guaranteeing a Happy Life for People with Disabilities, Full Support! ... Ulsan City Strengthens 'Disability Welfare Policies'

A Total of 160.3 Billion KRW Invested, Up 8.9% from Last Year

Expansion of Care, Strengthening of Self-Reliance Support, and Expansion of Facilities for People with Disabilities

Ulsan City will actively promote the ‘2023 Welfare Policies for Persons with Disabilities,’ focusing on information exchange among persons with disabilities, support for independent living, and reduction of caregiving burdens on families.

The total project budget is 160.3 billion KRW, an increase of 13.1 billion KRW (8.9%) compared to the previous year (147.2 billion KRW).

The main policies include strengthening activity support services for persons with disabilities, expanding welfare infrastructure, supporting information exchange, income security and job support, community-based independent living support, guaranteeing social participation and mobility rights, expanding health care services, fulfilling cultural needs and leisure activities support, improving disability awareness, and enhancing rights protection.

Ulsan City Hall.

◆ Strengthening Activity Support Services for Persons with Disabilities

The city will strengthen the ‘Activity Support Services for Persons with Disabilities,’ which closely supports their daily lives and independent living while reducing the caregiving burden on families.

Key support measures include ▲realistic adjustment of activity support service fees ▲increase in additional allowances to activate the connection between activity support personnel and beneficiaries.

1. Fee (per hour) 14,800 KRW → 15,570 KRW

2. Additional allowance (per hour) 2,000 KRW → 3,000 KRW

Additionally, persons with disabilities under 65 years old who were only using ‘long-term care services’ under the ‘Long-Term Care Insurance Act for the Elderly’ due to senile diseases will also receive additional ‘activity support services.’

◆ Expansion of Welfare Infrastructure

The city will expand the infrastructure of welfare facilities for persons with disabilities by adding one ‘Daycare Facility for Severely Disabled Persons’ and improving the functions of vocational rehabilitation facilities for persons with disabilities to enhance the working environment and help increase income.

With the completion of the ‘Buk-gu Disabled Welfare Center’ and the groundbreaking of the ‘Developmental Disabilities Hub Center,’ various services tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities will be supported.

◆ Support for Expanding Information Exchange

The city will attract national events for persons with physical disabilities and the deaf to Ulsan to expand information exchange among persons with disabilities. In April, about 2,000 persons with disabilities will be invited to the Disability Day commemorative event, where various information exchange programs will be operated.

◆ Income Security and Job Support

This year, the basic disability pension will be increased by 23,180 KRW from last year’s 300,000 KRW to 323,180 KRW. In particular, persons with severe disabilities will receive a disability pension of up to 403,180 KRW per month, including an additional allowance of up to 80,000 KRW per month.

The city will expand jobs for persons with disabilities from 699 last year to 724 this year and will also promote regionally customized employment support projects according to the economic independence and needs of persons with severe disabilities.

◆ Support for Community-Based Independent Living

The city will stably operate two ‘Independent Living Support Housing for Persons with Disabilities’ established in 2022 to enable persons with disabilities to live independently in the community and plans to expand ‘settlement support funds’ for those leaving residential facilities.

◆ Guaranteeing Social Participation and Mobility Rights

To guarantee social participation and mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and the elderly, the city will install ramps at 35 small-scale multi-use facilities to support safe and convenient use of these facilities in daily life.

◆ Expansion of Health Care Services

Ulsan City will reduce health disparities between persons with disabilities and non-disabled persons and ensure safe protection in crisis situations by opening a ‘Disability-Friendly Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic’ within the first half of this year as part of the ‘Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Health Management Support Project for Women with Disabilities.’

◆ Fulfilling Cultural Needs and Supporting Leisure Activities

The city will support the cultural needs and leisure activities of persons with disabilities by opening programs conducted in sign language at the Disabled Culture Center to actively support the deaf community.

Additionally, support for the ‘Sonamu Disabled Choir,’ founded in 2021 and composed of persons with and without disabilities, will be strengthened. The Sonamu Disabled Choir won the silver prize at the 2022 National Disabled Choir Competition.

◆ Improving Disability Awareness and Enhancing Rights Protection

The city will conduct disability awareness improvement and sexual violence prevention education through puppet shows and will strengthen the operation of the Disability Discrimination Counseling Center, Disability Rights Advocacy Institutions, and shelters for abused persons with disabilities.

An official from Ulsan City stated, “Persons with disabilities and their families have endured difficult times due to long-term social distancing and restrictions on social activities. From this year, we will work even harder to actively support the external activities of persons with disabilities to ensure their happy lives.”