[One Day Ten Thousand Steps] Bringing the Joy of Walking to People with Disabilities and the Elderly... Seoul Facilities Corporation's 'Walking Together with the Vulnerable'

"I thought family outings were impossible because we had to rely on a wheelchair, but I was deeply moved to have the chance to visit Hanok Village with my family, creating unforgettable memories with my child."

In February, Mr. A, who visited Eunpyeong Hanok Village with his child who has brain lesions and intellectual disabilities, shared his experience using the Seoul Facilities Corporation’s ‘Companion Outing Service for People with Disabilities.’ Since mid-November last year, the corporation has been accepting applications from registered disabled individuals using Seoul Disabled Call Taxi and providing outings to desired destinations within Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon on the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays of each month. They offer minibuses and large buses equipped with wheelchair and regular seats. In the first month of the service, 13 people used it twice in November, 7 people twice in December, and from January to April 2023, including a visit to Yangpyeong Cheese Village, a total of 84 people used the service over 10 outings. The number of users exceeded 100 within five months, with every session fully booked during this period.

Weekend Outing Promotion for People with Disabilities [Captured from Seoul Facilities Corporation Social Media]

The first customers to use the corporation’s ‘Weekend Companion Outing Service’ on November 12 last year were Mr. B and his three siblings, all wheelchair users. On that day, the siblings visited the Yongmiri 1 and 2 cemeteries in Paju to pay respects to their parents. Paju is not within the Seoul Disabled Call Taxi service area, and visiting the graves together had been impossible for nearly ten years due to mobility difficulties.

Mr. C, a disabled person, visited Wolmido in Incheon with friends in December last year. He thought he would never be able to return to Wolmido, which he had walked to over ten years ago, but was able to visit again after becoming a wheelchair user. In February, Mr. D and his family of four visited Seonnyeobawi Beach in Incheon with their disabled child. Mr. D said, "Our child had been undergoing hospital treatment for two years due to a chromosomal abnormality, and the whole family was exhausted from caregiving. Seeing the sea, which the child had longed for, gave the entire family a healing experience we never dreamed of."

The Seoul Facilities Corporation is a Seoul Metropolitan Government-owned public enterprise that professionally manages urban infrastructure such as cultural and sports facilities including Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul World Cup Stadium, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Seoul Children’s Grand Park, as well as memorial facilities, expressways like Dongbu Expressway and Olympic Boulevard, underground shopping malls, and public bicycles called Dareungi. Since the appointment of Director Korean Young in June last year, the corporation has actively engaged in the city’s key agenda of ‘Walking Together with the Vulnerable.’

Since October last year, the corporation has identified 198 projects aimed at protecting vulnerable groups among citizens and employees, using these as reference materials when promoting related projects. Among these 198 projects, initiatives such as installing new family seats for families with young children in the outfield seats of Gocheok Sky Dome, creating obstacle-free walking paths for vulnerable pedestrians along certain sections of Cheonggyecheon, and operating digital signage at Seoul World Cup Stadium were selected as excellent projects after review by the corporation’s business departments. The ‘Cheonggyecheon Safe Walking Path’ project involves removing obstacles from certain sections of the Cheonggyecheon walking path and installing dedicated signboards for people with mobility difficulties.

For the elderly, the ‘Senior Park’ located at the rear gate of Seoul Children’s Grand Park in Neung-dong, Gwangjin-gu, which will open in early July, stands out. The Senior Park is a redevelopment of the existing exercise area inside the rear gate of the Grand Park, a place frequently visited by elderly people. The Senior Park covers a total area of 2,500㎡ and consists of a ‘Senior Playground,’ ‘Health Park,’ and ‘Community Facilities’ designed for the elderly. The Senior Playground will be equipped with eight types of comprehensive circulation exercise equipment such as ‘wrist strengtheners’ and ‘comprehensive stretchers’ to help seniors enhance flexibility and balance essential for daily living.

Employees of the Corporation, Daesang, Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Korea Racing Authority who participated in 'Cheonggye Atti' organized by the Seoul Facilities Corporation are taking a commemorative photo at the Cheonggyecheon Flower Path Spring Event on April 13.
[Photo by Seoul Facilities Corporation]

The ‘Health Park’ will significantly improve existing exercise facilities and include a basketball court, badminton court, and outdoor exercise equipment. The basketball court’s surface will be replaced from dirt to urethane, and the badminton court floor will be resurfaced with masato soil along with the installation of net posts and line belts. Fourteen types of outdoor exercise equipment that meet safety regulations will be newly installed. The ‘Community Facilities’ will feature a large shade structure (pergola, 7x3.6m) equipped with platforms, benches, and tables. The corporation plans to explore introducing programs linked with local sports clubs and elderly welfare facilities near the Grand Park using these facilities. Additionally, handrails for mobility assistance, emergency bells, and CCTV will be installed throughout the Senior Park to support the elderly.

Korean Young, Director of Seoul Facilities Corporation, said, "In line with Seoul City’s ‘Walking Together with the Vulnerable’ policy, we are continuously discovering and introducing projects for the vulnerable and minorities one by one. We will continue to strive to provide ongoing and essential companion services for the vulnerable through the public services offered by the corporation."