[Editorial] Exemplary Local Government Policy on Handicapped

The district government office (gucheong) for Incheon's Nam-gu has created 410 parking spaces for handicapped persons in residential zones. It says it did so because the rules say it has to, but it's rare when those are followed. The regulations say that in parking lots with 20 spaces one is supposed to be reserved for handicapped drivers, but that is not a compulsory stipulation so it is not automatically observed. You can see the gucheong's considerate thinking in how it built more handicapped spaces in neighborhoods where there are larger numbers of handicapped individuals, and in how it gave thought to the issue of accessibility for the people who must use those spaces. Its activities are a fine example for local governments that think of handicapped facilities as an annoying formality or as unnecessary expenditures.

The undeniable reality is that our society is still a place where handicapped individuals find it hard to enjoy the most basic of rights, let alone to enjoy various conveniences. The story of severely blind individuals living together in Ulsan's Gwangmyeongwon is a heartbreaking as can be. The place they lived was put up for auction so they found a new place requiring a deposit in a country village, but when it came time to move in local residents blocked the moving company with cultivators and stones. Fearing that they would try to move in during the night, locals formed groups and kept watch. It's sad to consider how they even discussed getting rid of the driveway, as if they hadn't done enough. The director even signed a written pledge saying they would "live a quiet existence" but it had no effect. The people of Gwangmyeongwon probably felt a sense of frustration heavier than the rocks blocking the roadway.

Handicapped living and convenience facilities are treated like the plague in Korean society. Locals give reasons such as that they will hurt housing prices, hurt business, or that they're bad for the education of local children, and that makes the handicapped feel sadder and more frustrated. That is why living together with handicapped individuals is not something that is going to happen through policy and investment alone. There are around 4.5 million handicapped people in Korea. In other words, one out of about hour households has someone who is suffering from a handicap. It also means the handicapped are our family and neighbors.

The Hankyoreh, 13 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]