Adding Dreams to the Lives of People with Disabilities: 'THE Pyeonhan Nowon'

Nowon-gu to Hold Various Events for Disabled Persons Day
Commemorative Programs and Awareness Activities from April 15 to May 8

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold various events and educational programs to commemorate the 45th Disabled Persons Day on the 20th.

This year’s event slogan is "Nowon, Adding Dreams to the Lives of Persons with Disabilities." It reflects the district’s commitment to creating a disability-friendly city environment where no one is restricted in life opportunities due to disability, and everyone can dream and achieve their goals. The events include a variety of programs such as disability awareness improvement education, cultural and artistic exhibitions, and a Disabled Persons Day commemorative ceremony.

The first event, disability awareness improvement education held on the 16th, was conducted for district and affiliated institution employees. Lecturers included Yu Young-sook, a visually impaired on-site guide, Kim Hyun-sook, and five human rights instructors for persons with developmental disabilities from the Group for Dreams. The trained employees unanimously expressed that "hearing vivid experiences directly from persons with disabilities broadened our perspectives on disability."

On the 18th, the Disabled Persons Day commemorative ceremony will be held at the Nowon-gu Office auditorium. The event will feature diverse performances such as the Samgu Senior Choir, the Full Moon Performance Group from Haemalgeum Protection Workshop, and the dance team from the Down Welfare Center. Awards will also be presented to individuals who have contributed to the promotion of welfare for persons with disabilities. Notably, a "Dream Presentation Performance," where disability rights instructors share their personal stories, will be held to convey a hopeful message that persons with disabilities can grow as members of society.

Starting the same day, the special exhibition "Geurim Bomgil Exhibition" will showcase 103 works by 103 artists affiliated with the Korea Disabled Artists Association. Held at the Gyeongchun Line Forest Path Gallery, the exhibition will be open until April 27 and is expected to deeply resonate with visitors through the sensibilities and perspectives of disabled artists.

This year, the scope of disability awareness improvement activities will be expanded in collaboration with university students. On May 8, a movie screening and a meeting with the author will be held for families of persons with disabilities and university students. After watching the disability awareness film "To Her," participants will have a chance to broaden empathy and understanding through a conversation with author Ryu Seung-yeon.

Additionally, the "Free Inspection and Cleaning Service for Electric Mobility Devices" was implemented for the first time this year to alleviate practical inconveniences faced by users of electric mobility aids. This service is operated at the "Electric Mobility Device Driving Practice Center," which opened in November last year, making it easily accessible to actual users.

Moreover, the district continues its efforts to support comfortable daily life and independence for persons with disabilities under the vision of a disability-friendly city. Starting with the operation of the nation’s first dedicated beauty salons for persons with disabilities (branches 1 and 2), the district established a disability-friendly hospital last year and plans to expand this from two to five locations this year. In addition, it is promoting Seoul’s first pilot project to support auxiliary devices for vehicles used by persons with severe disabilities and has opened the electric mobility device driving practice center, striving to prepare comprehensive support measures across daily life.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, "I hope that Disabled Persons Day will serve as an opportunity for a culture of understanding and respecting each other’s differences to spread more widely," adding, "We will create a comfortable disability-friendly city where persons with disabilities can nurture and realize their dreams without discrimination in daily life."