Seoul City Supports Museum and Art Gallery Visits for 2,130 Students from 25 Special Schools

95% Satisfaction Among Participating Schools

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Seoul City announced on the 26th that from October to December, a three-month period, 25 special schools and 2,130 students and teachers participated in the 'Special School Students Museum and Art Gallery Free Admission Support Project,' which was conducted for special school students who have difficulty visiting museums and art galleries.

This 'Special School Students Museum and Art Gallery Free Admission Support Project' targets special school students, a 'culturally vulnerable group' who usually face difficulties visiting museums and art galleries due to mobility issues and sudden behaviors, and provides support for ▲museum and art gallery admission fees ▲transportation ▲assistants ▲sign language interpreters ▲guides. It was prepared as part of Seoul City's key policy in the 8th term, 'Walking Together with the Vulnerable.'

In a satisfaction survey conducted after the project, 95% of participating schools responded that they were 'satisfied,' and when asked if they intended to participate in next year's project, 94% answered that they would 'participate again.'

In particular, museums and art galleries that provided experiential programs in which students could directly participate along with exhibition viewing received high satisfaction.

A notable point in this 'Special School Students Museum and Art Gallery Free Admission Support Project' is that museums and art galleries made various attempts to newly introduce programs tailored to different disability areas (physical, intellectual, hearing, emotional, visual). On-site at museums and art galleries, a broad consensus was formed regarding the policy direction of 'Walking Together with the Vulnerable.'

In a survey conducted on museums and art galleries participating in this project, most agreed on the necessity of facility improvements and program development to enhance the viewing environment for the culturally vulnerable. Among the institutions participating in this project, 91% expressed their intention to newly develop programs for students with disabilities.

Based on the operational results over the three months from October to December, in 2023, the project will be actively promoted with the goal of full participation of 6,121 students and teachers from 32 special schools in Seoul.

Juyongtae, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Culture Headquarters, said, “Through this pilot project operated this year, we confirmed the high necessity of promoting the project for both special school students and museums and art galleries,” and added, “Starting next year, we will actively support special school students, who have been in a cultural blind spot, to enjoy culture and arts in a more convenient environment by fully promoting the project.”

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