Gwanak-gu, Digital Information Newspaper Subscription Service for People with Disabilities

Implementation of Newspaper Service Accessible Anytime, Anywhere via Mobile AlimTalk or Text Messages
Enhanced Information Accessibility for Visually Impaired and Elderly through Newspaper Article Voice Support Function

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will newly launch a ‘Digital Information Newspaper Subscription Service’ this year to make it more convenient for people with disabilities to use.

The district has received much positive feedback by sending printed newspapers twice a month to people with disabilities in the area, containing various welfare policies and customized information for the disabled.

Starting this year, in line with the smartly changing times, the district will expand the newspaper subscription service by additionally introducing the ‘Digital Information Newspaper Service’.

The ‘Digital Information Newspaper for the Disabled’ includes various articles such as ▲welfare policies for the disabled ▲latest social issues, and is sent only to subscribers via mobile AlimTalk or text messages on weekday mornings five times a week.

This service allows people with disabilities to conveniently access information anytime and anywhere via smartphones, and especially includes a voice support function that reads articles aloud, which is expected to greatly enhance information accessibility for not only the visually impaired but also those with low vision and elderly disabled individuals.

The district will initially implement the service by selecting 100 people with disabilities who wish to subscribe to the digital information newspaper from among about 300 printed newspaper subscribers. Later, the district plans to actively promote the service and continue increasing subscribers so that many households with disabilities can benefit.

The ‘Newspaper Subscription Service for the Disabled’ can be applied for at the local community service center within the address area at any time if the household qualifies as a low-income disabled household, such as basic livelihood security recipients or near-poverty class. When applying, applicants can choose the type of newspaper they wish to subscribe to, either printed or digital information.

Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “I hope that the digital information newspaper subscription service will enable disabled residents in the area to obtain useful information more quickly and conveniently and communicate actively,” adding, “We will continue to pursue customized welfare policies that help the daily lives of people with disabilities and will not spare interest and support so that they can live happy lives.”

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