Gwangju Nam-gu Conducts Various Projects Utilizing Disability Welfare Fund

"I am eagerly looking forward to June 4th, the day I will go on a healing trip with my family. I think it will be a truly enjoyable trip."

Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is enhancing the happiness of local people with disabilities by carrying out various projects using the welfare fund for the disabled.

According to Nam-gu on the 30th, the scale of the welfare fund invested by the district office this year to pursue happiness and improve welfare for people with disabilities is 35 million KRW, which was partially prepared from fines collected last year for violations of parking spaces exclusively for the disabled.

The projects promoted with the welfare fund for the disabled include four initiatives: a healing trip with family, a voice guidance service for parking spaces exclusively for the disabled, support for a grand piano for the disabled cultural and arts group, and support for the qualification exam for visually impaired people.

Among these, the support project for the grand piano for the disabled cultural and arts group has already been completed. Nam-gu supported 6 million KRW out of the 12.5 million KRW purchase cost of the grand piano on May 14 to support musical instruments for the disabled cultural and arts group.

Currently, the members are building their musical sensibility by playing the piano in the practice room of the Nam-gu Disabled Welfare Center.

Also, five visually impaired people in the district have been participating in a qualification exam preparation program for middle school graduation at the Gwangju City Visually Impaired Welfare Center since January, attending four times a week for two hours each session, totaling 70 sessions.

Among them, two plan to take the qualification exam in August.

Next month, the healing trip with family and the voice guidance service for parking spaces exclusively for the disabled will be carried out.

Forty-eight families with disabled members in the district will travel to Wando, a city gaining attention as a marine healing city, on June 4. They plan to spend time resting and enjoying by strolling through the Wando Marine Healing Center, arboretum, and Myeongsasimni Beach.

Along with this, starting from mid-June, a new policy this year, the voice guidance service for parking spaces exclusively for the disabled, aimed at guaranteeing mobility rights and providing parking convenience for the disabled, is scheduled to begin.

The system will soon be installed in five parking spaces at the annex parking lot of Nam-gu Office, Juwol Health Promotion Center parking lot, and Bongseon 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center parking lot. It features voice guidance broadcasts when non-disabled vehicles park and imposes fines if the designated time is exceeded.

A Nam-gu official stated, "The welfare fund for the disabled is used in various ways and is effectively enhancing the happiness and quality of life of people with disabilities in the district," adding, "We will continue to actively promote projects that provide practical help in the daily lives of people with disabilities."