‘2023 Busan World Disabled Persons’ Games’ ... Challenge and Opportunity Meet in Busan!

August 7-11 at BEXCO Busan, International Disability-Friendly City Takes a Step Forward

Roundtable Meetings, Subcommittee Seminars, International Paralympic Committee World Congress, Program Arranged

Busan City will host the "2023 Busan World Disabled Persons' Games" from August 7 to 11 at the BEXCO area in Busan.

Held under the theme "Global Great Transformation, Its Challenges and Opportunities," this event is co-hosted by Busan City and the Disabled Peoples' International Korea (DPI Korea), and organized by the 2023 Busan World Disabled Persons' Games Organizing Committee.

2022 Busan Disability Forum. (2023 Busan World Disabled Persons' Games Pre-Event)

There will be roundtable discussions related to disability rights, employment, and digital technology, alongside parallel sector seminars, the International Disability Alliance (IDA) World Congress, exhibitions, cultural and artistic programs, and local tours.

With around 2,000 participants including people with and without disabilities from around the world, this event aims to create a disability-friendly environment and share related systems and policies by resuming exchanges and communication within the domestic and international disability communities, which had been disrupted due to COVID-19.

Major international organizations and groups related to disability such as the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), International Labour Organization (ILO), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), International Disability Alliance (IDA), and Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) will actively participate to build consensus on disability-related issues and seek appropriate responses.

In particular, this event is the first international gathering of authoritative experts and organizations from the global disability community since COVID-19, providing an opportunity to understand international disability trends. It is also expected that after the event, a new paradigm will be presented that not only promotes the rights of persons with disabilities but also pursues a society where people with and without disabilities can be happy together.

The event will include participation from all six continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North America, South America) and cover 15 types of disabilities.

Unlike events focusing on a single disability type, this event encompasses all 15 disability types, requiring meticulous preparation to ensure that participants with various disabilities do not face inconveniences during the event.

The journey for overseas participants is also challenging. Alzouma Maiga Idriss, Chairperson of the African Disability Forum, traveled from Niger to C?te d'Ivoire to obtain a visa to participate in this event. He will enter Incheon via Ethiopia from Niger, with a total flight time of 34 hours. Even non-disabled people find such journeys difficult, yet he endures the inconveniences as a wheelchair user to visit Korea.

The significance of this event is special precisely because it proceeds despite such difficulties. It symbolically provides a platform for solidarity where all types of persons with disabilities worldwide can raise their voices beyond nationality, disability type, and the nature of disability organizations.

This event is the first international event in the field of disability welfare hosted by Busan City and was made possible through the interest and support of the Busan disability community, citizens, and local businesses.

Initially, securing private funding was essential in addition to national and city budgets, but due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturn, and short preparation period, private funding for the event was nearly impossible, causing significant difficulties in hosting the event.

In the midst of these challenges, support came from the Busan local community. Starting in May, the Busan International Disability Council (Chairperson Kang Chung-geol), Eunsan Shipping & Aviation (Chairperson Yang Jae-saeng), and Chamcom (Chairperson Lee Kyung-wook) made the first sponsorships, followed by a relay of sponsorships from local businesses, organizations, and individuals, raising 500 million KRW. The sponsorship funds were donated to the Busan Community Chest of Korea and will be fully used for event operations.

Additionally, local Busan company Samju (Chairperson Baek Seung-yong) will provide a yacht that tours Haeundae, Oryukdo, and Gwangan Bridge during the event period to showcase the beauty of the coastal city of Busan to people with disabilities worldwide. The yacht, which can accommodate up to 80 people, will operate free of charge once or twice daily for event participants during the event.

The Busan disability community also united their efforts. Led by the Busan Disabled Persons' General Association (Chairperson Jo Chang-yong), they promoted the event at various disability-related events to encourage participation and provided accessible transportation such as large buses equipped with wheelchair lifts to ensure a convenient event experience.

Furthermore, local institutions including the Busan branch of the Korea Disabled People's Federation, Busan Cultural Foundation, Busan Viewer Media Center, and Pusan National University have prepared cultural and artistic programs linked to the event to make it more diverse and enriching.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, "We will do our best during the remaining period to ensure that Busan is recognized as a disability-friendly city in the international community through the successful hosting of the Busan World Disabled Persons' Games." He added, "We hope that the successful hosting of this event will help Busan secure its status as a leading international city for human rights and contribute to attracting the 2030 Busan World Expo."

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