"The Sincerity in a Handwritten Letter"... Why Nowon District Mayor and Staff Were Moved to Tears

Test Drive Event for Vehicle Assistive Devices for Severely Disabled Persons

At the 'Test Drive Event for Vehicle Assistive Devices for Severely Disabled Persons' held by Nowon District, Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seungrok) on the 25th, a handwritten letter from a guardian of a person with disabilities was read aloud, deeply moving the attendees.

A handwritten letter from Hye Kyung Kim. Provided by Nowon District.

The author of the letter was Hye-Kyung Kim, the mother of Seongho Kwak (27), who has a brain lesion disability. Kim, who has suffered from lumbar stenosis due to repeatedly lifting her son and his 45-kilogram wheelchair into their vehicle, was selected as a beneficiary of the 'Pilot Project for Installing Vehicle Assistive Devices for Severely Disabled Persons,' which was implemented for the first time in Seoul by the district this year. This allowed her to install a ramp device in their Carnival vehicle.

In her handwritten letter, Kim expressed, "Whether it rained or snowed, my exhausting daily routine of lifting my son and loading the wheelchair continued," and added, "This support goes beyond providing a single piece of equipment; it has opened a door for families of people with brain lesion disabilities to reconnect with the world." She repeatedly expressed her gratitude to District Mayor Oh Seungrok and the staff of the Nowon District Welfare Division for Persons with Disabilities.

At the moment the letter was read, about 100 representatives from disability organizations and welfare facilities attending the event were moved to tears and shared a sense of warmth and empathy. The event was held at the Nowon District Electric Mobility Aid Practice Center, which opened last year, and included additional services such as free inspection and cleaning of electric mobility aids.

Nowon District transparently disclosed the implementation process of this pilot project to persons with disabilities and also introduced the achievements of its recently expanded disability-friendly hospital operations.

Oh Seungrok, Mayor of Nowon District, stated, "This project also began with parents of people with disabilities sharing their daily challenges last year," and added, "We will continue to listen closely to the voices of persons with disabilities and their guardians to identify and implement truly necessary policies."

Test drive scene boarding a vehicle using an assistive device. Provided by Nowon District.