Busan City Hosts Various Events to Commemorate the 44th Disability Day

Commemoration Ceremony at Gangseo Indoor Gymnasium on the 16th at 10:30 AM

Mayor Park Hyung-jun, People with Disabilities, Families, and Over 3,000 Citizens Attend

Busan City will hold various events to commemorate the '44th Disabled Persons Day' to raise awareness about people with disabilities and create a space for empathy between disabled and non-disabled individuals.

Busan City Hall.

Since 1981, when the United Nations declared it the International Year of Disabled Persons, South Korea has celebrated Disabled Persons Day annually. According to the 'Welfare of Disabled Persons Act,' the week following Disabled Persons Day (April 20) is designated as 'Disabled Persons Week,' during which various events are held.

On the 16th at 10:30 a.m., the '44th Disabled Persons Day Commemoration Ceremony' will take place at the Gangseo Indoor Gymnasium.

Sponsored by the city and hosted and organized by the Busan Disabled Persons Federation, this event is expected to be attended by about 3,000 people, including Mayor Park Hyung-joon, Park Jung-mook, the 1st Vice Chairman of the Busan City Council, Superintendent of Education Ha Yoon-soo, people with disabilities and their families, and citizens.

Due to COVID-19, the event had been held on a small scale at the Busan City Hall auditorium, but this year it will be held on a large scale again at Gangseo Sports Park.

At the ceremony, there will be a reading of the Disabled Persons Human Rights Charter, a delivery ceremony for Duribal vehicles, commendations for meritorious persons, cultural performances including an orchestra performance by people with developmental disabilities?an excellent example of job creation in disability cultural arts?along with side events such as the Disabled Persons City Tour Narae Bus experience and promotion, and free maintenance checks for assistive devices.

In particular, during the Duribal vehicle delivery ceremony, Mayor Park Hyung-joon will hand over 11 newly purchased Duribal vehicles to Lee Sung-rim, Chairman of the Busan Facilities Corporation. With this, the Busan Facilities Corporation will operate a total of 208 Duribal vehicles.

Additionally, on the 16th, the day of the ceremony, 20 Duribal vehicles and welfare managers (drivers) will be provided to offer free transportation for people with disabilities who have difficulty using regular vehicles. On Disabled Persons Day, April 20, Duribal vehicles will operate free of charge within Busan city.

On the 19th at 1 p.m., at the City Hall Green Plaza, the Busan Disabled Persons Independent Living Center Federation will host the '420 Disability Culture Festival with Citizens' to promote independent living for people with disabilities.

This event will be held in the form of a cultural festival to improve awareness of disabilities and people with disabilities and to widely promote independent living, fostering the perception that people with and without disabilities are neighbors living together.

Members of 13 Disabled Persons Independent Living Centers will operate disability awareness campaigns and disability experience programs tailored to different types of disabilities.

From 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 19th, six of Busan’s representative tourist attractions will be illuminated in purple to commemorate Disabled Persons Day, symbolizing people with disabilities.

Lighting Ceremony (Busan Cinema Center).

This is part of the global awareness campaign ‘#WeThe15,’ which highlights that 15% of the world’s population, or 1.2 billion people, have disabilities. Busan City Hall, Busan Cinema Center, Busan Tower, Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Busan Harbor Bridge, and Namhang Bridge will all be lit up in purple, the campaign’s symbolic color.

Furthermore, from Disabled Persons Day on April 20 through Disabled Persons Week, the Busan Disabled Persons Welfare Center Association will organize meaningful events to commemorate the day at various disability welfare facilities and organizations throughout Busan, including the 'Damjaengi Walking Contest,' a 2.5 km walk along the barrier-free Galmaetgil course.

Mayor Park Hyung-joon stated, “The various events held to mark Disabled Persons Day are expected to deepen citizens’ understanding of people with disabilities and contribute to creating a socially integrated environment where disabled and non-disabled people can live together.” He added, “All people with disabilities have the right to be respected for their human dignity and value and to pursue happiness. We will do our best to make Busan a city where the contents of the Disabled Persons Human Rights Charter are fully realized.”