"Save Me" Mountains Beyond Mountains... Government Offices Without Consideration for People with Disabilities

Touring Gwangju City Hall and Council in a Wheelchair... Obstacles Everywhere

On the morning of the 20th, a reporter from our newspaper in a wheelchair is struggling to climb the ramp while holding onto the railing at the entrance of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Junho] "Help me"

On the morning of the 20th, the 42nd Disabled Persons Day, at the Gwangju Metropolitan Council.

The dizzying slope at the main gate took my breath away. Grasping the handrail installed on one side, I struggled to climb slowly like a turtle. When I reached the midpoint, my hand suddenly lost strength, and the wheelchair slid backward. It could have led to a major accident, but a fellow reporter who came along acted as a support.

Wiping off sweat pouring down like rain, I finally reached the 'top,' but faced another obstacle. I don't know if it was only that day, but the automatic door did not respond, making me feel ignored.

Opening the adjacent swinging door and entering was impossible to do alone in a wheelchair.

Fortunately, a citizen inside opened the door and came out, allowing me to enter in that gap. Perhaps they were a savior who rescued me from a crisis where I might have been stuck for tens of minutes.

Breathing heavily, I headed to the first-floor lobby, where a monitor displayed the phrase "Gwangju Metropolitan Council advancing together with citizens." After overcoming several obstacles, my impression upon entering the "Hall of the People" was inevitably a complaint: "Are people with disabilities included among those who participate together?"

There was no meticulous consideration for people with disabilities at Gwangju City Hall either.

The wheelchair rented by the city had a broken fixing device, causing the footrest to hit the floor with a 'drreuk' sound before falling off. In the end,

I had to move in a ridiculous posture, with my legs suspended in the air without support.

The horizontal bar, a metal rod at the bottom of the chair, was also rusty,

looking as if a broken item had been left abandoned in a warehouse. The official only then saw the condition and said, "I will call the department to request repairs," trying to manage the situation.

Even the unmanned book return box was not designed with the convenience of people with disabilities in mind. Of the total 28 boxes, the usable return boxes were out of reach even when stretching the hand upward. The world that was invisible when walking comfortably on two legs was full of discomfort when facing it in a wheelchair.

After nearly two hours of experience, on the way to the parking lot, I happened to meet Yoo Jongcheon (52), the leader of the yellow vest volunteer group, who spoke to me. "Can I help you?" The kindly offered words felt incredibly welcome.

There was a case where a woman who screamed for help for 35 minutes was stabbed to death by a robber amid the indifference of neighboring residents. This is the bystander effect. Our society also gives only "flash attention" on Disabled Persons Day as an annual event, and it is worth reflecting on whether we live as bystanders thinking "someone else will help."

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