"End Desk Administration"… Policies Created by the People through 'Design Thinking'

10-Year Milestone of Public Service Design Project
Government and Local Policies Designed with Public Participation
"Exercise for People with Disabilities" Gangnam-gu Case Wins Presidential Award

"Consider yourself amazing for exercising even in hot weather. Now, follow along. One, two! One, two!"

At 10 a.m. on the 28th of last month, at Daejin Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, about 30 citizens moved their bodies following the trainer's commands while holding colorful exercise bands. However, this exercise gathering was somewhat different from usual. People with disabilities, some in wheelchairs or using crutches, were scattered throughout. Although clumsy, they stretched their bodies as much as possible.

Gangnam-gu is conducting the "Value Exercise Together" program, a health companion solution for people with disabilities, as part of its public service design project. On the 28th of last month, people with and without disabilities exercised together outdoors at Daejin Park in Gaepo-dong, Seoul.

Gangnam-gu has been running the disability health companion solution program "Gachi Undonghallae" since the end of last year in collaboration with the Gangnam Disabled Welfare Center. Every other Friday, participants exercise for an hour in parks or outdoor open spaces. Trainers specialized in disability education lead the sessions, and welfare center staff manage the site. As local residents gradually spread the word, now 30 to 40 people enjoy exercising together.

Kim Yuna, Secretary General of the Gangnam Disabled Welfare Center, said, "In fact, people with disabilities have a more desperate desire to exercise than anyone else," adding, "We thought that their confident exercise outdoors would also help improve perceptions of people with disabilities." This program is part of the "Public Service Design (formerly National Policy Design)" project funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. Public officials, citizens, and service designers form teams to develop public services using design thinking and methodologies. Design thinking involves breaking away from conventional ideas, viewing problems from diverse perspectives, identifying core issues, and finding the best solutions. It was introduced to provide customized services that genuinely meet citizens' needs. From 2014 to last year, a total of 1,900 tasks were submitted by government ministries and local governments, with over 20,000 citizens participating as members of the National Policy Design Group.

The Gachi Undonghallae program was also created through the combined efforts of about 20 members of the National Policy Design Group from various sectors over six months. They conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with about 150 people with disabilities to investigate the obstacles they face when exercising. Shin Je-wook, team leader of the Disability Welfare Division at Gangnam-gu Office, said, "At first, we considered building a gym exclusively for people with disabilities or purchasing expensive exercise equipment, but the solution found on-site was completely different."

Until now, when people with disabilities tried to attend regular fitness centers, they were often turned away with concerns like, "If an accident happens, wouldn't we be responsible?" Creating an environment where people with disabilities, who are often rejected by society and find it difficult to engage in outdoor activities, can enjoy exercising and improving perceptions was the priority. Gangnam-gu invested about 200 million won to improve the facilities at the Disabled Welfare Center's fitness center and brought in instructors specialized in special physical education. Personal training classes, held five times a day, are reportedly always fully booked.

Team leader Shin emphasized, "Among registered disabled people in Gangnam-gu, 52% are elderly aged 65 or older, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find medical service personnel," adding, "Helping them build muscle through exercise so they can carry out daily activities is the way to reduce welfare costs." The Gachi Undonghallae program was recognized for identifying the practical needs of the health-vulnerable disabled population, solving problems, and improving accessibility to exercise facilities, receiving the Presidential Award at the performance sharing event held last November.

Yoon Sang-heum, President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, stated, "Public Service Design is effective in creating policies with high participation and satisfaction, and is used in advanced countries such as the UK and the US," adding, "We will strive further to develop policies that resonate with the public."