Gyeonggi Fire Department Holds 'Seminar on Guaranteeing Safety Rights for Disabled People'... "Need to Establish Response Systems by Disability Type"

Joseonho, Head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters (third from the left), is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the "Seminar for Ensuring Safety for People with Disabilities" held at Hankyong National University on the 13th.

There has been a call to expedite the establishment of a response system that considers behavioral characteristics by disability type for swift evacuation during disasters.

At a seminar on "Ensuring Safety for Persons with Disabilities," co-hosted by Hankyong National University, the Korean Association for Public Administration's Inclusive Society Research Group, and the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters at Hankyong National University Pyeongtaek Campus on the 13th, Professor Lee Jeong-su of the Department of Architecture at Chungnam National University pointed out the problems in the disaster response system for persons with disabilities, stating, "Although evacuation drills such as fire and civil defense training are continuously conducted domestically, there are no practical guidelines that consider the behavioral characteristics of vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities."

He added, "It is necessary to strengthen building facility standards such as occupancy limits (occupant load) and to install temporary evacuation zones according to disability types, along with fire and evacuation drills and safety education."

Park Sang-geun, a fire safety educator (Fire Lieutenant of the Life Safety Team at Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters), presented measures to prevent casualties among persons with disabilities caused by fire, including ▲establishing disaster evacuation plans utilizing evacuation assistants considering the activities and residential institutions of persons with disabilities ▲the need for disaster and evacuation route information guidance ▲efficient disaster response education for persons with disabilities and strengthening instructor capabilities.

Dr. Jeong So-young of Yonsei University Law Research Institute, in a presentation titled "International Legal Discussions on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities during Disasters," suggested, "Disability is not a medical issue but a problem of social structure, and the social structure must be changed to enable persons with disabilities to demonstrate their capabilities."

Following this, Kim Ju-young, Director of the Disability Education Development Institute, chaired the session, with experts including Lee Yeon-hee, Team Leader at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, participating as panelists for a discussion.

Lee Won-hee, President of Hankyong National University, said, "This seminar is highly meaningful in that it focuses on the right to safety among the human rights of persons with disabilities. The right to safety is a prerequisite for other human rights," adding, "By discussing the safety rights of persons with disabilities together with the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, a specialized disaster safety agency, practical outcomes are expected."

Cho Sun-ho, Director of the Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters, expressed expectations, saying, "This gathering to share research and experiences from academia and the field and to seek solutions is a valuable first step toward significant progress," and added, "We have jointly produced tactile guide signs with Hankyong National University, which have begun to be used in the field, and we believe more achievements will follow."

Meanwhile, Hankyong National University and the Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters signed a memorandum of understanding in June to promote safety and welfare for persons with disabilities and the safety of Gyeonggi-do residents.

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