Selected for Specialized Support...Strengthening AI and Digital Competencies
Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul (Mayor Choi Hokwon) announced on the 10th that it has been selected for the “2026 Lifelong Learning City for Persons with Disabilities,” organized by the Ministry of Education’s National Institute of Special Education, for the fourth consecutive year.
The district was recognized for its performance over the past three years and its implementation capacity, and this year it was listed as a local government selected in the “specialized support” category. Specialized support targets local governments that have operated the Lifelong Learning City for Persons with Disabilities project for at least three years and supports the operation of differentiated programs that reflect local characteristics.
Choi Hogwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District. Provided by Yeongdeungpo District.
With the goal of guaranteeing the learning rights of persons with disabilities and expanding their participation in the local community, the district has operated a total of 49 lifelong learning programs in areas such as education, culture, and career exploration. In the process, 934 persons with disabilities and their family members participated in learning.
Using its selection for specialized support as a stepping stone, the district will advance the project to the next level by focusing on strengthening artificial intelligence (AI) and digital competencies, linking local resources, and providing customized programs tailored to different types of disabilities. It plans to operate a total of 20 programs, including a virtual reality (VR) exploration team, coding, drone and 3D pen experiences, “Mind Garden” creative art classes, and training programs for cultural and arts creators.
In particular, the cultural and arts programs are expected to present a pathway to social participation that goes beyond basic learning to include strengthening professional competencies and connecting participants to employment. Customized programs tailored to the characteristics of each neighborhood will be operated at community centers in local administrative offices, and five shared kitchens in the district will be utilized to support daily life activities that promote independent living, such as cooking and cleaning.
The district is also supporting expanded social participation of persons with disabilities in various other fields. It operated the “Spring Flower Companion Barrier-Free Guided Tour,” the first festival program in Seoul for persons with visual impairments, in connection with the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, and this was selected as an exemplary case in the 2025 Seoul City Companion Index performance evaluation for vulnerable groups.
Through efforts to promote sports for all for persons with disabilities, the district achieved an S grade in the 2024 Seoul Sports Association for the Disabled district operation evaluation and ranked second overall at the 2025 Sports for All Games for Persons with Disabilities. It is currently creating one additional shelter for persons with disabilities, and the new shelter will be equipped with an “indoor screen park golf range (one bay).”
Mayor Choi Hokwon of Yeongdeungpo District said, “Based on our three years of operating experience, this year we will focus on specialized areas to provide more practical lifelong learning,” adding, “We will create an inclusive learning city in Yeongdeungpo where persons with and without disabilities grow together.”
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