Opening of a Dedicated Shelter for the Deaf in Yongsan-gu

Opening of Dedicated Shelter on the 4th Floor of Yongsan-gu Disabled Community Center on Deaf Day, March 3
Among 7,093 Disabled in the District, 1,193 (16.82%) Are Deaf
▲Indoor Sports Programs (Hangu, Shullun, etc.) ▲Horticulture and Craft Classes
Convenient Counseling Room Provided with Expansion of Sign Language Interpretation Center

Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) opened the "Yongsan-gu Deaf Community Exclusive Rest Area" on the 4th floor of the Yongsan-gu Disabled Community Center on the 3rd. This space is dedicated to leisure activities exclusively for deaf individuals with hearing and speech impairments.

Among the 7,093 registered disabled persons in Yongsan-gu, 1,193 have hearing and speech disabilities, accounting for 16.82%.

Due to the nature of their disability, deaf individuals use a special communication method called sign language, which makes it difficult for them to use general welfare facilities, necessitating a separate space.

Accordingly, on the occasion of Deaf Day on the 3rd, the district held an opening ceremony for the "Deaf Community Exclusive Rest Area" and began full-scale operations.

The rest area offers customized programs for the deaf, including indoor sports programs (Hangung, Shulrun, etc.) and horticulture and craft classes.

The expanded sign language interpretation center now allows for more convenient consultations than before.

This facility also provides life support services for local deaf residents. It offers a service that helps deaf individuals communicate via video calls with people who are difficult to communicate with, such as doctors or bank staff, when visiting hospitals or banks.

Additionally, the Mirme Sign Language Interpretation Class, which non-disabled people can also participate in, is operated. It provides opportunities to understand deaf individuals and learn about Deaf culture (聾文化).

For detailed information on program operation and participation, please contact the Yongsan-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center. The center operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and is located on the 4th floor at 245 Seobinggo-ro.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, "We hope to offer a small comfort through the provision of an exclusive rest area for the deaf," and added, "Our district will continue to discover various projects and provide active support for people with disabilities."

This deaf community exclusive rest area was created by relocating offices and remodeling in cooperation with disabled organizations within the Yongsan-gu Disabled Community Center. The existing sign language interpretation center was expanded, and the newly established "Yongsan-gu Deaf Community Exclusive Rest Area" has an exclusive area of 289.16㎡.

Meanwhile, starting in the second half of this year, preparations are underway to operate a YouTube channel to provide information more quickly to deaf individuals.