Nowon-gu Expands Support for Social Participation and Independence of People with Disabilities

Support Project for Lifelong Education Vouchers for Disabled Persons Launched
35,000 KRW per Person Supported for Online and Offline Courses at Lifelong Education Institutions Nationwide
Various Projects for Learning Vulnerable Groups Stand Out, Including Lifelong Education Centers for Developmental Disabilities and Borderline Intellectual Disabilities

Korea Bible University Disabled Program, a Public-Academic Cooperation Project

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will start the 'Lifelong Education Voucher Support Project' to expand social participation and independence for people with disabilities.

The 'Lifelong Education Voucher Support Project for People with Disabilities' is a program that provides 350,000 KRW worth of course vouchers per person to 92 registered disabled residents aged 19 or older living in Nowon-gu. This project aims to support lifelong education for people with disabilities who tend to have poor academic achievement during school age, thereby promoting their independence. The project was selected through a public contest by the National Institute of Special Education under the Ministry of Education and is being launched for the first time this year.

As a result of recruiting eligible applicants in July, the number of applicants exceeded the support capacity. The district plans to prioritize selecting low-income individuals and then verify whether the remaining applicants are receiving support from other programs before finalizing the beneficiaries and starting voucher support.

Disabled individuals confirmed as beneficiaries can use a dedicated check card (Lifelong Education Hope Card) until the end of this year to pay for tuition and textbook costs for lifelong learning courses they need. In addition to 27 registered institutions located in the district, there are over 3,000 institutions nationwide where the lifelong education vouchers can be used. Beneficiaries can take online or offline courses at institutions registered on the 'Lifelong Education Voucher Website' regardless of their place of residence.

The district has been actively implementing educational support projects to help people with disabilities become independent and participate as members of society. It has established and operates educational facilities such as the 'Lifelong Education Center for People with Developmental Disabilities' and the 'Brain Lesion Disability Vision Center (Vision Dream Center),' as well as support projects like the 'Digital Classroom for the Hearing Impaired.'

Moreover, the newly launched voucher support project this year significantly expands the range of programs and institutions available for learning both online and offline.

Meanwhile, the district recently became the first autonomous district to establish the 'Borderline Intellectual Functioning Lifelong Education Support Center,' initiating the construction of a lifelong learning city without blind spots, including those with borderline intellectual functioning who are on the boundary between disabled and non-disabled.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “As of the end of June, there are about 25,000 registered disabled residents aged 19 or older in our district, the second highest in Seoul, so policies that provide necessary learning more easily and conveniently were needed. Ultimately, we will establish a system where everyone, regardless of disability status, can enjoy lifelong learning necessary for their own lives.”

Brain Lesion Disability Vision Center Program