Eunpyeong-gu Screening Clinic Provides Visual Support Boards for Disabled, Foreigners, and Elderly

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Elderly individuals with disabilities or presbycusis visited a screening clinic.

At this time, disabled or hearing-impaired elderly people cannot use sign language and find themselves in a frustrating situation amid concerns about infection.

At the Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) screening clinic, there is no need to worry about this. Since March 18, the Eunpyeong-gu screening clinic has been the first in the nation to provide and guide communication aids such as a ‘picture communication board’ and a ‘visual support board’ for people with disabilities, the elderly, and foreigners.

The ‘picture communication board’ and ‘visual support board’ that help communication are used not only for people with disabilities and foreigners but also when conversing with hearing-impaired elderly individuals. Both medical staff and suspected patients wear masks at the screening clinic, and there are partitions at the reception desk, making it difficult to hear the other person’s words clearly.

At this time, the medical staff’s physical exhaustion is significant, misunderstandings may occur, and droplets could spread. In such cases, the roles of the ‘picture communication board’ and ‘visual support board’ are crucial. The picture communication board consists of two types, and the visual support board includes a total of 14 sheets. The process from entering the screening clinic to receiving medical care is organized step-by-step. An English version for foreigners is also available.

A speech therapist volunteering for people with disabilities at the Eunpyeong-gu screening clinic received complaints about communication difficulties from disabled individuals, and during this process, ideas for the picture communication board and visual support board were developed and worked on together with doctors at the Eunpyeong-gu Public Health Center.

The picture communication board that aids communication is one of the AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tools. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication, which encompasses all methods to supplement or replace speech for people who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally.

The organization that researched and developed this is ‘Saramgwa Sotong,’ a volunteer group for people with disabilities and an AAC speech therapy center. It is also produced and distributed by ‘Hanspeak,’ an AAC workshop established to employ people with developmental disabilities. They have been volunteering for people with disabilities and stepped forward to assist socially vulnerable groups using screening clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the 18th, Eunpyeong-gu has been operating the picture communication board and visual support board for the first time in Korea, receiving high praise from elderly users.

An official from Eunpyeong-gu stated that they plan to prepare Chinese and Vietnamese versions for foreigners in the future. Eunpyeong-gu also plans to distribute these boards to other screening clinics, including Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, Municipal Eunpyeong Hospital, Seobuk Hospital, and Cheonggu Seongsim Hospital, expanding the use of picture communication boards and visual support boards throughout the district.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Consideration for people with disabilities, the elderly, and foreigners struggling due to COVID-19 was needed sooner,” and added, “We will continue to prepare meticulous administration in more areas.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.