Newly Established 'Visually Impaired Shelter' in Songpa-gu

On the 24th, the long-awaited ‘Dedicated Shelter’ for the Visually Impaired Opens in Bangi-dong

Songpa-gu Creates Singing Classes, Meeting Rooms, and Rest Areas Well Received by the Visually Impaired

Songpa-gu Supports Customized Leisure Activities and Self-Help Groups

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has established the first dedicated shelter for the visually impaired, a long-standing wish, and opened it on the 24th.

The number of visually impaired people in Songpa-gu is 2,078, accounting for 10% of the 20,657 registered disabled residents in the district. This ranks sixth among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

Visually impaired individuals face limitations in using general welfare facilities, creating a strong need for dedicated spaces. However, among the six disability organizations in the area, the visually impaired group was the only one without a separate space, making the establishment of a shelter for sharing welfare information and self-help group activities urgently needed.

Accordingly, the district created the ‘Songpa-gu Visually Impaired Shelter’ on the 2nd floor of the Songpa Governance Building in Bangi-dong (47-15, Ogeum-ro 11-gil).

The shelter covers an area of 121.77㎡ and includes the office of the Korean Federation of the Visually Impaired Songpa Branch, singing classes, meeting rooms, and rest areas.

In particular, the district focused on establishing singing classes while creating the shelter. Reflecting the preference of visually impaired people for music activities due to visual limitations, karaoke machines and soundproofing facilities were installed for comfortable enjoyment.

Additionally, materials in highly recognizable colors such as green, orange, and yellow were used, and the layout was designed with simple pathways and minimal protrusions to ensure that all visually impaired individuals can use the shelter safely and comfortably.

The shelter will be utilized as a diverse communication space for rest, self-help meetings, exercise, and leisure programs for the visually impaired.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok stated, “Songpa-gu prioritizes support for socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled in its administration and is implementing practical projects including expanding various allowances. We will do our best to operate and manage the shelter, which has opened with great effort, so that many visually impaired people can freely communicate and engage happily.”

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