Regional Workshop on Monitoring the Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF)
Bangkok, Thailand, 13-15 October 2004

REVIEW PAPER : KOREA

Presented by Korean Society for Rehabilitation (RI Korea)

Regional Workshop
Monitoring the Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Right-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific
13-15 October 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

• Author : KSRPD & Rehabilitation International Korea
• Website : www.rikorea.or.kr / www.freeget.net
• E-mail : rikorea@freeget.net /

A Brief Review of the BMF Implementation ('03-'04)

In an effort to implement the recommendations of the Second Asia-Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2003-2012), Korean Government has established the Second-Five Year Plan for Disability Welfare (2003-2007). The Plan as a comprehensive policy package, articulates the broad policy directions, priority areas and visions for the future. It is critical to note that the Plan incorporates the seven priority areas for intervention as clearly spelt out by the BMF. The Plan should be seen as a continuing endeavor from the year 2003 by the relevant government departments, professional groups, NGOs as well as the persons with disabilities themselves. We are planning to undertake evaluations in every two years. Korean RI's eleven specialist groups respectively report on either the progress or the outcomes of the BMF implementation.

With the above as a backdrop, this paper deals with the implementation of seven priority areas for action based on the review of the 2nd Five-Year Plan.

Implementation of the BMF ('03~'04) in Korea: An Evaluative Overview

1. Self-help organizations of persons with disabilities and related family and parent associations

• Target 1 -evaluation

Some progress has been made in government's support for disability organizations as evidenced by the budgetary increases of nearly five times from 10 million won in 1992 to 52million won in 2000. Also government has expanded the disability categorizations from 5 areas prior to 2000 to 15 in 2003. Encouraging signs of developments as summarized above are contrasted with the continuing financial struggles of many self-help disability organizations, which in turn hamper their service delivery activities.

Korean Parents Society for the Disabled' is one of the notable parents-driven self-organizations, which was established in 1986. The current membership is now 18,974 and has 45 branch offices throughout the country.

• Target 2 -evaluation

Under the direct responsibility of the Prime minister's Office, a Disability Policy Co-coordinating Body with representatives from other ministries is in operation in which representatives from disability NGOs and Self-Help organization participate. More than 1/3 of the membership should be made up of persons with disabilities.

2. Women with disabilities

• Target 3-evaluation

Legislations with respect to women were most confined to the issues ofsexual abuses and prohibition of prostitution, and hardly any references have been made on women with disabilities. The SecondWomen’s Development Plan incorporates welfare services for women, but does not elaborate how they might be implemented. It should be noted, though, that from 2001, 10 counseling services for sexually abused women with disabilitiesand two shelters have been set up. This is an example of the influence the women with disability as amovement was able to put on the government.

• Target 4, 5 -evaluation

The women with disability as an issue surfaced in the mid 1990 starting with the formation of the Women's Solidarity and other self-help organizations. Nevertheless, the issues of women with disabilities still remain as a minor issue in the politics of government.

3. Early detection, early intervention and education

• Target 6 - evaluation

As of 2004, Korean government provides ten years of compulsory education, which is composed of one-year pre-school (5 years old), six years as elementary education, and three years as secondary education. Children with disabilities are provided with three years of early childhood education, six years as elementary, and six years as secondary education.

• Target 7 - evaluation

As of 2004, only 30,828 children among 2,204,928 children who are in the school age receive special education in special schools or in the special classes of the general schools, while the rest of children, about 61,000 children with mild disabilities receive general elementary education in the general classes. Accordingly, as of 2004, over 95% children among children with disabilities who are in the school age receive elementary education.

• Target 8 - evaluation

As of 2004, a fee-free early childhood education for children three to five years old are provided under the Special Education Promotion Act of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, whereas child care for infants with disabilities are provided by theChild Care Act of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Currently,16% of the 32,000 infants (that is 51,000) with disabilities in the age group of 0 to 4 years old receive special education family support. To cover all the eligible infants with disabilities, Korea would have to come up with introducing new legislative instruments along with allocating significant amount of resources to support the families.

• Target 9 - evaluation

According to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act, the government has conducted a study on the actual conditions of persons with disabilities in 2000 (which is repeated in every five years), but we have not developed as systematic model for early detection and diagnosis. Likewise, there is no regulation governing the early detection and diagnosis of infants with disabilities by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources. Accordingly, the government is planning to develop an early detection and diagnosis model for infants with disabilities from 2004 to 2005 for implementation in 2006. Once in operation, early detection and diagnosis for infants with disabilities will be carried out in conjunction with the amendment and reinforcement of the Maternity and Child Health Act of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

4. Training and employment, including self-employment

• Target 10 - evaluation

With the implementation of the ILO's 1983 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Covenant in June 1985, the government has been enacting similar vocational and employment measures that take into account of domestic situations. Notable among them is the5 Year Disability Employment Promotion Plan from 1998-2002. The Plan will be further extended from 2003-22007 with emphasis upon training, and employment promotion.

• Target 11 - evaluation

A significant amount of promotional drive will have to be mounted to inform the public of the 'legal' categorizations of disabilities to encourage more inclusive vocational training opportunities. The Ministry of Labor has increased its support for inclusive training of workers with disabilities in ordinary work places; only 48 employers are participating with 202 workers in place at end of 1999. To reach the target of 30% as the Covenants stipulates, special measures such as new legislations and policies are required.

Attention should be paid to widening the access to open employment, eligibilities for participation, gender equality and selectively encouraging the poor families to benefit from such measures.

• Target 12 - evaluation

Predominantly relies on the statistical information supplied by the Korea Disability Employment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Labor. Measures to improve statistical information/data will have to be devised in the future.

5. Access to built environments and public transport

• Target 13 - evaluation

The 1997 Access and Convenient Ac for People with Disabilities, the Aged and Pregnant Women were implemented in 1998, which virtually guaranteed access rights. This Act designated the targetobjects for access (Article 7) and the access standard (Article 8), and further designated the Ministry of Health and Welfare and respective local governments to police the implementation.

Some improvements are visible in public buildings, but in transport and mobility areas in general remains barely touched. Legislation is before the Parliament for Mobility Rights for the Transport Disadvantaged, a result of persistent NGO action over the years.

• Target 14 - evaluation

Urban subway systems are enforced to install at leant an elevator or escalator in each station to improve the mobility of persons with disabilities. The same applies to bus terminals, airports, and passenger terminals. Railroad stations in accordance of the Mobility Rights for the Transport Disadvantaged. The government would also implement a Five-Year Comprehensive Plan (’05~’09) to improve the general access.

• Target 15 - evaluation

No formal organization has been established as yet to coordinate and consolidate activities to improve access. Formation of such a body is an urgent task to communicate and link all the relevant government/nongovernmental organizations and must pay special attention to make it a truly comprehensive access strategy for everyone, not just for the people withdisabilities.

6. Access to information and communications, including information, communication and assistive technologies

• Target 16 - evaluation

Special efforts are mounted to secure to secure access to the Internet for persons with disabilities, and the gap between disabled and non-disabled persons is narrowing significantly.

Reference: the Internet utilization rate of the total population and persons with disabilities

• Target 17 - evaluation

In order to do this, activities in Asia and the Pacific region should be strengthened, including participation in the Asia-Pacific ICT Forum.

• Target 18 - evaluation

In the year of 2001, the recommended guidelines for improving accessibility to information for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, etc. were drawn up, and using the same recommendation the draft is being prepared and the related law will be introduced in 2005.

• Target 19 - evaluation

The standardized Korean sign language is being made by the Korea Association of the Deaf under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2004.

• Target 20 - evaluation

A certification system for sign language interpreters is introduced as a private certification. Korea National College of Rehabilitation and Welfare and Korea Nazarene University set up the department of sign language interpretation and train interpreters. As of 2004, Korea Association of the Deaf has established sign language centers in its local branches and provided sign language service.

2) Implementation of actions

• Legislation and policy draft
  • In 2000, the Act to Narrow the Digital Divide was enacted.
  • In the copyright law, regulations for Braille and voice of books andaudio-visual aids are allowed as exceptional ones.
• Establishment of the division in charge of accessible ICT in the Ministry of Information and Communication
  • Information Security Division and Information Security Industry Division under Information Planning Office in the Ministry of Information and Communication take charge of accessible ICT. As an affiliated organization, Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion has been established and taken the responsibility of digital divide problems.
• Public awareness and tax exemptions of equipments, etc.
  • Public awareness is partially conducted by the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion.
  • In 2004, the Lottery Fund supports the Assistive Device Center for Persons with Disabilities.
  • Research is being made on tax exemptions for equipments.
• Others
  • In 2004, Korean Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities and its local branches has established Rehabilitation Assistance Centers for Persons with Disabilities and has been trying to solve the Digital Divide.

7. Poverty alleviation through capacity building, social security and sustainable livelihood programmes

• Target 21- evaluation

• In 2001, average monthly household income for people with disabilities was 108.2 won (about US$ 870), which is about 44% of Korean worker’s average monthly income of233.1won(US$ 2200). Furthermore,62.5% of persons with disabilities earn less than 870 US dollars.
• 13.7% of people with disabilities receive government's basic income support as compared with 2.6% of people without disabilities. This is about 5 times higher than the non-disabled population.

Monthly Incomes and Expenditures of the People with Disabilities
(Korean Won %)

Our view and plans on the BMF implementation in Korea country

1. Indicators for monitoring the implementation progress

Along with other of NGOs, RI Korea member organizations are in place to monitor the implementation of the BMF as well as the 2nd Five-Year Plan of Welfare Policies for Disabled Persons (2003-2007) in every two years. In particular, RI Korea members are expected to review achievements and shortcomings in the 2nd Five-Year Plan by developing indicators for the implementation progress from the beginning of 2005.

2. Institutional mechanism for monitoring the implementation

According to the recommendation of the 1st Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, Korean government establishedWelfare Measures Committee for PWDs under Office of the Prime Minister in 1996, after that time the name has been changed to Welfare Coordination Committee for Persons with Disabilities in 1999.

Recently the relevant law has been amended to strengthen the Committee. For example it is to increase the number of committee from 25 to 30 and include Ministry of Gender Equality and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy in addition to the existing compulsory committee (Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Information and Communication, and Ministry of Construction and Transportation)

Also as previously announced legislation, it is recommended that at least 50% of the committee should be composed of persons with disabilities, and organize aWorking Group and Subcommittee for effective operation under Welfare Coordination Committee for PWDs.

It is expected to establish the committee in each local government and the head of self-government is to be chairperson for the local committee as well as at least 50% of the committee should be composed of PWDs.

The enforcement ordinances will take effect after 2005.

3. Capacity building and technical cooperation

According to the Welfare for Disabled Persons Act (1981, 1999), persons with disabilities designated a person who is restricted or limited to participate in the normal or social life due to a long-term physical or mental disabilities including internal, respiratory, epileptic, ostomy and facial deformed disabilities, and disabilities areas have been enlarged every year.

KIHASA (Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs) has conducts an ample survey of on the situations of People with Disabilities throughevery 5 years.

The budget allocated to disability matters has been increased in every year, for example it was increased in $212million in 2003 to $254 million in 2004.

In relation to project assessment from disability perspective, three Ministries (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Ministry of Labor) have been managing disability affairs through disposition of human resources and postrelated to disability.

4. A rights-based comprehensive national policy

The 2nd Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons recommends the government to make national plan of action (five years) on disability. Based on the review of results and unsuccessful parts of the 1st Five-Year Plan for Welfare Development for PWDs (1998-2002), the 2nd Five-Year Plan for Welfare Development for PWDs (2003-2007) has been established. In five years, comprehensive plans for disability policies, with emphasis upon the basic policy directions and priorities will be set up and undertaken in cooperation with relevant government ministries (Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Information and Communication, and Ministry of Construction and Transportation) and NGOs.

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