‘Disability Discrimination Act Amendment Bill’ Introduced as Main Proposal
A bill has been proposed to mandate the provision of rental vehicles guaranteed under insurance policies in the event of an accident involving a vehicle operated by a person with a disability.
On the 13th, Jo In-cheol, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangju Seo-gu Gap, announced that he has taken the lead in proposing the "Amendment to the Act on Prohibition of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities," which obligates insurance companies to provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities in their service offerings.
Current law stipulates that providers of financial products and services must not restrict, exclude, separate, or refuse persons with disabilities without justifiable reasons. However, although disabled insurance policyholders can use rental vehicles according to policy terms when needed due to traffic accidents, they are currently unable to do so because there are no vehicles equipped with driving assistance devices. Unlike non-disabled individuals who can use the same or similar vehicle models, people with disabilities have no other option but to receive transportation expenses (approximately 35% of the rental fee).
Even when receiving transportation expenses, it is practically difficult for people with disabilities to use public transportation such as subways, buses, and taxis. According to a survey on the status of persons with disabilities, 35.2% of respondents reported difficulties in using transportation, with 53.2% of those citing discomfort with buses and taxis as the highest.
As of last year, the proportion of drivers with disabilities was 30.9%, up from 28.3% in 2017, and vehicle ownership also increased to 52.2% compared to 46.1% in 2020. This suggests that our society needs to pay more attention to enhancing the mobility rights of people with disabilities.
This amendment establishes a legal basis to ensure that insurance companies provide rental vehicles and other accommodations equally to people with disabilities in automobile insurance services.
Representative Jo emphasized, "It is clear discrimination that people with disabilities pay the same insurance premiums but do not receive rental vehicles," adding, "I will continue to work harder to create a warm society where experiences and opportunities are not limited because of disability."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
