Changwon Instructor with Developmental Disabilities Demands Payment Reflecting Disability-Specific Needs

Changwon City: "Payment Possible Only if Center Operation Guidelines Are Met"

On the 11th, instructors with developmental disabilities from the Changwon Center for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Gyeongnam held a press conference, claiming that Changwon City is discriminating against them by not properly paying their instructor fees.

Changwon City drew a line, stating that instructor fees can only be supported if the instructors meet the criteria outlined in operational guidelines.

Earlier that morning, the Changwon Center for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Changwon Center for Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities held a press conference at the city hall press center, saying, "We condemn Changwon City for not recognizing instructors with developmental disabilities."

According to the instructors and Changwon City, the city stopped paying instructor fees for disability awareness education in April, following the operational guidelines for the Center for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This was because an investigation into a report made to the National Sinmungo in July 2023 regarding the waste of subsidies by a disability organization and the misuse of working hours by the organization's representative found that instructor fees had been improperly executed.

The city explained that from September 2021 to April last year, it paid about 19 million won to 14 instructors with developmental disabilities, and although the recorded lecture time was 45 minutes, the actual duration was only 5 to 10 minutes.

The city also stated that it found cases where people who did not meet the criteria for assistant instructors?who are supposed to demonstrate movements or practical exercises during the main instructor's training?were hired as assistants and received instructor fees.

It was also revealed that, although there are 46 instructors, from January 2020 to July 2023, 62% of the confirmed instructor fees?about 130 million won?were paid to six people, including the organization’s representative, staff, and board members.

The Changwon Disabled Human Rights Center in Gyeongnam is urging recognition of the special characteristics of instructors with developmental disabilities and support for instructor fees.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

The center argued, "Changwon City claims that instructors with developmental disabilities who participate as partner instructors do not meet the guidelines because they only play the flute or make presentations for about 5 to 7 minutes instead of filling the full lecture time, and therefore refuses to pay them."

"It is impossible for an instructor with developmental disabilities to fully understand both their own disability characteristics and the concept of disability awareness and lecture for a full hour," they said. "Demanding that they lecture in the same way as non-disabled or other types of disabled instructors is discrimination against persons with disabilities."

They continued, "The Ministry of Employment and Labor already recognizes partner instructors with developmental disabilities and pays them the same instructor fees as others. Based on this, Changwon City could establish criteria for supporting instructor fees, but it is violating its responsibilities as a local government."

"Changwon City does not understand the characteristics of persons with developmental disabilities and judges the value of a lecture only by its duration," they said, urging an apology by stating, "The value of a lecture by an instructor with developmental disabilities cannot be measured in monetary terms."

A city official stated, "Disability awareness education, which is supported by Changwon City subsidies, provides instructor fees according to the qualifications and payment standards for instructors. It is not that instructors with developmental disabilities are not recognized, but if they meet the qualification criteria, they can receive instructor fees."

The official added, "We will do our best to operate the program by conducting regular supervision and performance evaluations to systematically execute subsidies and eliminate any leakage of local finances."