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Korea

Regional NGO Network for the Promotion of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002

National NGO Report (2)

September, 2002

Eden House in Korea

The Significant Changes & Future Directions in Korea

Part I: Achievements

1. National coordination

1. In 1996, the Welfare Coordination Committee for Disabled Persons(the former Welfare Policy Committee for Disabled Persons) was established with the Prime Minster as the head of the committee and has discussed and validated the first Five-Year Plan for Welfare Development for Disabled Persons(1998-2002).

2. The general meetings were held in December, 2000 and April, 2002 in order to review the progress and problems of the Five-Year Plan and to promote it.

3. The committee has contributed to improve welfare for people with disabilities in Korea through proceeding comprehensive welfare policies for people with disabilities, such as welfare, employment, education for them, etc.

2. Legislation

1. In order to achieve the social integration of people with disabilities through their full social participation and equality, the Charter for the Human Rights of Disabled Persons was established in 1998.

2. For people with severe disabilities(1-2 grade) and their families as the beneficiaries of the National Basic Livelihood Security Act, disability allowance, children's educational expenses, etc. have been supported, and registration and acquisition tax have been exempted when purchasing cars by people with disabilities(1-3 grade).

3. Various tax reductions, such as income tax deduction, etc. have been enlarged, employment subsidies have been given for employers who hired people with disabilities, and incentives, such as the enlargement of value-added tax exemption in technical aids, etc. have been provided.

3. Information

1. In order to promote information use of people with disabilities, IT education programs for them have been providing. Since 1999, two billion won have been invested in IT education programs for people with disabilities. As a result, IT Education Centers were established in 123 institutions, such as community rehabilitation centers, organizations of/for people with disabilities and, thereby, IT education have been proving for a total of 60,000 people with disabilities.

2. Discount benefit for telecommunications use fees has been providing for people with disabilities. To assist information use of them, fees for telephone, PC communications, and Internet use are discounted up to 30 to 50%. Although PC communications and Internet use have legal discount systems, private enterprises do it voluntarily.

3. In order that people with disabilities may access telecommunication products and services easily, "the recommendation guidelines for improving accessibility to information of people with disabilities, senior citizens, etc." were established to encourage government, local self-governing bodies, other public agencies, manufacturers, and service providers to adopt recommendations necessary for design, manufacture, and supply of telecommunication products and services.

4. Public awareness

1. The Campaign '97 for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002 was held in 1997, and seminars for improving awareness towards people with disabilities in mass media have been being held since 2000.

2. The Disabled-Person-First-Campaign has been conducting through national and local broadcasting stations by governmental and non-governmental organizations since 1996, for the purpose of enhancing public awareness towards people with disabilities.

3. Disability-related programs have been televised through state-run and private broadcasting stations, and after monitoring disability-related reports in mass media, they have been requested to correct inappropriate expressions.

5. Accessibility and communication

(1) Accessibility

1. Through the enactment of the Accommodation Improvement Law for the Disabled, the Elderly, and Pregnant Women in 1997, the law requires facilities and equipment to be available for persons with disabilities in public buildings and institutions; and requests to eliminate mobile barriers in buildings.

2. According to a National Five-Year Plan for the Expansion of Accommodations (2002-2004) which established in 1999 to promote the social participation and welfare of the disabled, the elderly, etc., all buildings and institutions used by the public will be furnished with facilities and equipment available for disabled persons.

3. In order to improve transportation services for people with disabilities and achieve welfare transportation, various systems and services have been introduced and provided, for the purpose of improving public transportation accommodation for people with disabilities, increasing car-related support for their personal use, and providing door-to-door services for people with severe disabilities.

(2) Communication

1. Public awareness towards universal service and universal design has been formed and spread.

2. The law on solving the digital divide and information accessibility has been enacted in 2000 and the Welfare Law for Disabled Persons has been amended in 1999, which was based on sign language services and broadcasting with caption.

3. Tax deduction of car for personal use of people with disabilities has been provided, and public transportation fees, such as airplanes, trains, etc. and communication service fees have been deducted.

6. Education

1. Through the amendment of the Special Education Promotion Law in 1994, inclusive education opportunities for children and youth with disabilities has greatly been expanded.

2. Through the establishment of the long term comprehensive developmental plan of special education in 1997, teaching aids, assistive devices, and facilities for promoting the educational outcomes of children and youth with disabilities have been provided.

3. In order to increase the educational effects of children and youth with disabilities, teaching methods and materials have been used by revising the national curriculum for them in 1990 and 2000.

7. Training and employment

1. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has been increasing vocational rehabilitation facilities from 70 registered sheltered workshops in 1981 to 162 registered institutes in 2000. These institutes include sheltered workshops, pre-vocational training centers, vocational evaluation centers and work activities centers, and provided services to 4,081 persons with disabilities in 1999. There were 128 sheltered workshops serving 2,713 persons with disabilities in 1995. In 2002 currently, there are four vocational evaluation centers across the nation.

2. The Ministry of Labor has been responsible for fulfilling the 2% quota system among companies which employ more than 300 employees. The public sector employs 3,591 persons with disabilities January 2000, recording an 1.33% employment rate approximately. The private sector employs 17,840 persons with disabilities December 1999, recording a 0.9% employment rate approximately. The Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled was established in 1992 by the law. This agency provided approximately 1,400 persons with diverse disabilities with job placement services each month in 2001.

3. Government services were expanded to persons with psychiatric disabilities and other internal disabilities such as kidney failures, by revising the Employment Promotion and Vocational Rehabilitation Act of Persons with Disabilities in 1999.

8. Prevention of causes of disabilities

1. Periodical management before childbirth have been served for pregnant women.

2. Medical examinations for phenolkaptonuria and hypothyroidism have been made for new born babies.

3. Health education using mass media has been strengthened and education materials have been developed in order to decrease the factors of primary diseases

9. Rehabilitation services

1. The law requires a disabled person and a representative of user families to be included in steering committee members of rehabilitation community centers since 1999, which is the institutional system to increase their substantial involvement in the entire process addressing disability-related problems services. And it also requires to be included and conducted as obligatory regulations in administrative regulations of 93 rehabilitation community centers and 211 residential facilities for people with disabilities, for the purpose of reflecting opinions of people with disabilities in their program planning and evaluation process

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2. In order to develop the models of comprehensive national strategy by the government and NGOs for the purpose of improving the quality of home-bound people with disabilities through assisting disability prevention, rehabilitation, and social services programs; (1) As the models initiated by the government, the medical rehabilitation model has been conducted by the National Rehabilitation Center through health and welfare offices and 16 institutes currently conduct it byan exemplary program; (2) As the models initiated by NGOs, services have been provided as outreach programs in community rehabilitation centers nationwide since 1985 and as community-based rehabilitation programs in 52 centers since 2001.

3. Extra evaluation items like welfare for women with disabilities has been included for the purpose of strengthening their assistance and evaluation since 1999 so as to effectively develop the social development programs of disability-related problems (poverty alleviation, education, labor, culture, human resources development, etc.) including problems with women and girls with disabilities.

10. Assistive devices

1. A Common ground for the development of high-functional assistive devices has been shaped by the government and the public.

2. Universal design related to function, structure, provision and participation has been introduced in the development of assistive devices.

3. The adjustment and supplementation of systems has been carried out to expand the distribution of assistive devices.

11. Self-help organizations

1. As a coordinating body representing organization on disability and rehabilitation in Korea, the Korea Differently Abled Federation was established in 1999 and has been playing a role in advocating people with disabilities and coordinating organizations on disability and rehabilitation.

2. Self-help organizations(Korea Kidney Association(1994) and Korea Differently Albed Women's United(2000)) have been organized. Especially, KDAWU has assisted programs to develop the potential leadership of women and girls with disabilities.

3. Organizations of/for people with disabilities is conducting peer counseling and empowerment programs, and the government is currently supporting these programs.

12. Regional cooperation

1. In 1997, the UN ESCAP Meeting of Senior Officials was held in Seoul by the Korean Government to mark the mid-point of Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons(1993-2002).

2. The Theme Song Contest in 1995, the RI Asia & Pacific Regional Conference and the Campaign '97 in 1997 were held by NGO (Korean Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities) in cooperation with RI and RNN.

3. The Korean Government and NGOs have been actively participating in various meetings and conferences related to Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons.

Part II: Priority activities necessary to fulfill

1. National coordination

1. In order to strengthen the linkage of policies for people with disabilities between ministries, sub-structure of the Welfare Policy Committee for Disabled Persons should be organized and administered.

2. Detailed administrative guidance of the committee and its sub-structure should be formulated.

3. The Second Five-Year Plan for Welfare Development(2003-2007) should be established.

2. Legislation

1. The disability allowance should be realized imminently to guarantee the stabilization of livelihood for people with severe disabilities eligible for the basic livelihood security.

2. In consultation with Ministry of Planning and Budget, the social security system for people with disabilities should be expanded through newly establishing caring allowance for people with disabilities.

3. Articles and clauses in law restricting the full participation and equality of people with disabilities and discriminating them should be abolished and amended.

3. Information

1. Compulsory regulations for observing accessibility to telecommunications should be established. Although people with disabilities are provided with accommodation in telecommunication products and service and web text through the establishment of "the recommendation guidelines for improving accessibility to telecommunications," these guidelines are just recommendations not to have substantial binding force. But advanced countries in America and Europe have regulations to require telecommunication products and service providers to follow accessibility. Therefore, we should enact law containing regulations to observe the minimum accessibility when telecommunication products and services provide.

2. Support for purchasing telecommunication devices should be expanded for low-income people with disabilities. There are many cases in need of telecommunication devices for people with disabilities to access to information. But these devices are so expensive that people with disabilities cannot purchase them easily. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the part of purchase price should be supported institutionally in case of their job hunting and social life.

3. For people with hearing disabilities, telecommunications relay service should be provided. Communication opportunities among people are increased surprisingly through introduction of the telephone service, but people with disabilities become alienated from social participation with the difficulty of using it. Therefore, telecommunications relay service has been introduced and its operating expenses supported in advanced countries, such as America, U.K., Canada, etc., for purpose of making communications between the disabled and the non-disabled. Consequently, we should provide telecommunications relay service of voice telephone service in order to improve the social participation of people with disabilities.

4. Public awareness

1. Mass media, such as newspapers, broadcastings, etc. should be monitored annually and prohibited to describe people with disabilities negatively, and thereby, public awareness towards people with disabilities and their human rights should be kept improving.

2. The Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development and all other related agencies should immediately delete contents and prejudiced items losing disabled persons' dignity in teaching materials and aids, etc. for educational use and include the contents of their integration in the mainstream community living.

3. Public awareness campaigns should be actively implemented through developing and implementing various media to improve the understanding of people with disabilities.

5. Accessibility and communication

(1) Accessibility

1. Facilities for people with disabilities should be generalized, and guidelines for setting up elevators in subway stations, etc. should be established.

2. In order to make the living environment for all the people, pavement environment for pedestrians should be adjusted, curb of entrance at public building should be eliminated, and, therefore, barrier-free society should be realized.

3. Various facilities and equipment should be designed in universal design available for all the people, not disabled persons only, considering the characteristics of disabled persons.

(2) Communication

1. The basis for universal service should be strengthened, and sign language interpretation and Braille services in public services should be provided.

2. Broadcasting with caption should be expanded, the disabled persons' rights to participate in broadcasting should be ensured, and the Korean Broadcasting Commission should include a disabled person as the member of the commission.

3. The certificate system for sign language interpreters and Braille translators should be established.

6. Education

1. Early intervention programs which are actively involved by the families of children with disabilities and their community should be introduced and expanded in both rural and urban areas.

2. Schools should introduce curricula for all children including children and youth with disabilities.

3. Schools should conduct appropriate transition education from secondary level to post-school, pre-vocational, tertiary education, and employment level.

7. Training and employment

1. Vocational training and employment opportunities should be focused on persons with most severe disabilities.

2. Employment opportunities should be given to persons with disabilities who are seeking self-help activities for persons with similar disabilities, such as peer counseling and independent living services.

3. Integrated vocational training models should be recommended and given a first priority. Most of all, employment opportunities should be open or competitive employment oriented, not sheltered workshops.

8. Prevention of causes of disabilities

1. The examination items of inherent metabolic abnormality should be expanded step by step, and expenses for bringing up children with inherent metabolic abnormality and taking their examinations should be prepared.

2. In order to minimize the occurrence of secondary disabilities, rapid transportation and treatment systems for accident patients should be set up and a general mechanism for disability prevention should be established.

3. Disability prevention should be included in educational curriculum of each school and approached nationally through active publicity of it using mass media.

9. Rehabilitation services

1. In order to realize the independent living of people with severe disabilities, independent living skill training programs should be introduced and expanded as an obligatory program in public and private rehabilitation institutes (community rehabilitation centers, residential and day-care facilities for people with disabilities, etc.) and their financial support both publicly and privately should be expanded.

2. In order to increase the provision capacity of rehabilitation services for people with disabilities at home, the facilities of day-care and group home services, etc for their community integration should be expanded, and training and placement programs for community workers in charge of providing sub-professional services should be strengthened and activated.

3. The physical environment obstructing the social participation and activities of people with disabilities, the wrong public awareness toward them, and information access, communication and equal opportunities (employment, education, etc.) should be improved along with institutional support.

10. Assistive devices

1. A specialized institute in charge of education and publicity for users of assistive devices should be established.

2. Government should play a leading role in training engineers and expanding research and development for improving the skills of assistive devices.

3. Related regulations should be established to reflect the opinions of assistive devices in their designing, planning, adjusting processes.

11. Self-help organizations

1. On the basis of finding out the actual condition of self-help organizations of people with disabilities, support for self-help organizations should be expanded and the social integration of people with disabilities should be promoted through constructing the linkage and cooperation system between organizations of/for people with disabilities.

2. In order to meet the needs of people with mental or developmental disabilities and promote their empowerment, various programs should be developed and conducted.

3. In order to operate organizations of/for people with disabilities effectively, develop and evaluate professional programs, and activate linkage between organizations of/people with disabilities, education opportunities should be increased and supported.

12. Regional cooperation

1. Another Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons should be proclaimed after the Decade and its action plan should be established for the continuous development of welfare for people with disabilities in the Asia and Pacific region.

2. After the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 10 Year Plan for Welfare of People with Disabilities (such as the Korean Decade of Persons with Disabilities) should be set up according to the action conditions of each country.

3. The information and materials of policies and programs on welfare for people with disabilities between GOs and NGOs in the Asia and Pacific region should be shared and exchanged more actively.