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April 21, 2011
Various Events Take Place in Celebration of Day for Disabled Persons in Korea
This Wednesday marks the 31st Day of Disabled Persons here in Korea and in celebration, President Lee Myung-bak visited a leading company that employs workers with disabilities. ccording to the Presidential Office, he visited a company in southwest Seoul to compliment it on its corporate policy, since disabled people make up to 40 percent of its staff.
Cheong Wa Dae said the president's visit was aimed at highlighting the importance of job opportunities for the disabled. Meanwhile, around 3-hundred disabled people and their families gathered at the Kim Koo Museum and Library in Seoul to celebrate.
At the event, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik pledged to increase this year's welfare budget for the disabled by 8 percent compared to last year.
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=115119&code=Ne2&category=2
A day before this year's Day for Disabled Persons, a special free speech session was held in Seoul, where those with disabilities had a chance to express and share their thoughts with the public.
Many said that although things have improved quite a bit over the past few decades, they still face prejudice and at times feel isolated from society.
[Interview : Kim Jun-woo, Center head Songpa Solution Center for Independent Living] "In the past, people used to view a disabled person simply as someone in need of help. But I hope, from now on, that awareness will grow so that we can live as equal members of the society."
Welfare experts say the most crucial element, and often times the most challenging, for those with disabilities is having a job that will secure their independence.
And to make it easier for them to find places to work and also to encourage companies to hire more disabled people, an annual job fair hosted by the city of Seoul was held at SETEC Convention Center on Wednesday.
[Interview : Roh Young-ok, Jobseeker with hearing impairment] "I came here today to go to interviews and see if there is a suitable work place for me. I'm not sure if it will work out, but I'll see how it goes."
Modern Joy, one of the participating companies, produces leather bags and is run by a CEO with a hearing impairment.
He says because he was able to successfully hire workers through last year's fair, he came back for more.
[Interview : Lim Baek-gyu, CEO Modern Joy] "I believe the best welfare for disabled people is creating jobs for them. I hired five people last year who turned out to work really hard and with great passion. I plan to hire seven more disabled jobseekers this year."
More than one-thousand positions are available, and the fair aims to fill three-hundred on-site. And an official says that the city itself plans to hire ten people with severe disabilities.
[Interview : Han Young-hee, Director Disability Welfare Division] "What makes this year's fair special is that we brought in many more companies that are willing to hire workers with severe disabilities."
Efforts to improve the overall social environment for disabled people are certainly on-going and it seems there are a few areas left in which Korea could make considerable improvements.
Laah Hyun-kyung, Arirang News.
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=115117&code=Ne2&category=2
Posted by jicafriends at April 21, 2011 11:46 AM