Councilor Lee Jeonghee of Hongseong County Stresses Urgent Need to Expand Daytime Care Facilities for People with Disabilities

Urgency of Reducing the Care Burden on Families of People with Disabilities Stressed in 5-Minute Speech

Councilor Lee Jeonghee of Hongseong County Council giving a 5-minute free speech./Provided by Hongseong County Council

On the morning of May 8, Councilor Lee Jeonghee (Democratic Party, Proportional Representation) of Hongseong County Council emphasized the urgent need to establish daytime care facilities for people with developmental disabilities during a 5-minute free speech at the 312th extraordinary session held in the main assembly hall of the county council.

Councilor Lee pointed out, "As of December 2024, the number of registered persons with disabilities in Hongseong County stands at 7,209, accounting for about 7.27% of the total population. However, there are still no daytime care facilities in Hongseong County," and added, "Other cities and counties in Chungnam Province have already established and are operating such facilities, or are in the process of building them."

She further emphasized, "If there are no daytime care facilities for people with disabilities, families are forced to give up their livelihoods, and people with disabilities inevitably experience social isolation." She stressed that "this is an issue that must be addressed to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities and to improve the quality of life for their families."

She continued, "It is necessary to create an opportunity to establish a foundation for the independence of people with disabilities and to restore the lives of their families through the establishment of daytime care facilities." She proposed the following: prompt establishment of daytime care facilities considering their legal status as community rehabilitation facilities for people with disabilities; giving priority to areas with no existing facilities; and providing administrative and financial support for the establishment of daytime care facilities.

She called on County Governor Lee Yongrok to recognize daytime care facilities for people with disabilities as essential welfare facilities and urged the county to establish a public care system for people with disabilities and their families.