Songpa-gu Celebrates Disability Day on 17th with Foot Washing Ceremony for People with Developmental Disabilities and Musical Performance for 250 Disabled Participants
Disability Festival on 19th... A Communication Space for Disabled and Non-Disabled to Raise Disability Awareness
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that to commemorate the 44th Disabled Persons Day, after the performance of the original musical ‘The Sea of Yi Sun-sin’ at the Songpa Women’s Culture Center on the 17th, the district will hold the disability festival ‘Haha Hoho Let’s Laugh Together’ at 2 p.m. on the 19th in the district office auditorium.
This series of events was organized to create a space for people with and without disabilities to communicate and empathize without prejudice in celebration of Disabled Persons Day on April 20.
First, before the musical performance on the 17th at the Songpa Women’s Culture Center, a first-part event was held where Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, and representatives from local disability organizations conducted a ‘foot-washing ceremony’ for 12 developmentally disabled youths from ‘Yukyoung School,’ drawing attention.
In particular, Mayor Seo attracted attention by personally washing the feet of one developmentally disabled individual and putting on specially made corrective shoes called ‘Dream Shoes,’ demonstrating his usual emphasis on a ‘servant leadership’ approach and conveying his humble heart to serve all residents.
On that day, Mayor Seo said, “Today is a special day to fit shoes for developmentally disabled people who have difficulty moving,” and emphasized the purpose of the event by stating, “Disability is merely an inconvenience and should not be a reason for discrimination. We are raising awareness so that the 20,000 registered disabled persons in the district and all residents can live in a barrier-free society without restrictions.”
In the second part, an original musical was performed to enhance the cultural life of people with disabilities. The work ‘The Sea of Yi Sun-sin,’ which deals with General Yi Sun-sin’s filial piety and a mother’s love, was enjoyed by 250 invited disabled persons including members of disability organizations and welfare centers, who had a rare opportunity to enjoy a performance.
Meanwhile, on the 19th, under the supervision of the Songpa-gu Bangi Welfare Center (Director Kim Jin-sook), a festival gathering 21 disability welfare institutions and disability organizations from the region will be held. Starting with a pre-event performance by the visually impaired choir ‘Glory Raphael Chorus,’ the event will continue with awards for contributors to disability welfare and a Disabled Persons Day commemorative performance.
Especially, a rich lineup of celebratory performances has been prepared. From comic percussion, magic, and hip-hop dance to developmental disability dance and sign language musicals, people with disabilities will directly perform and communicate with the audience, leading efforts to eliminate prejudice against disabilities. Twelve winning posters from an elementary school students’ disability awareness improvement contest will also be exhibited, contributing to fostering a community integration atmosphere.
The festival is generously supported by local companies such as Lotte Engineering & Construction, Dong Sung Engineering, Hana Bank, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and will be broadcast live in real time on the district’s official YouTube channel ‘Songpa TV’ so that many residents, including those without disabilities, can enjoy it.
Additionally, from April 11 for four days, three disability welfare centers and the Songpa-gu Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Center conducted a disability awareness improvement relay campaign targeting general residents in various areas including Bangi-dong, working hard to create a better world.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “In this new spring when all things come to life, I hope this will be a happy time where people with and without disabilities encourage and heal each other,” and added, “We will continue to strive to create an inclusive society where all members of the community live together regardless of disability.”
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