Gwangju Seo-gu Selected as 'Lifelong Learning City for the Disabled' for 3 Consecutive Years

Published 29 Jan.2024 11:09(KST)

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) has been selected for the ‘2024 Lifelong Learning City for Persons with Disabilities’ contest organized by the National Institute of Special Education under the Ministry of Education for the third consecutive year, securing an incentive of 80 million KRW.

Seogu District Office building. [Photo by Seogu]

According to Seo-gu on the 29th, the Lifelong Learning City for Persons with Disabilities project is a program initiated by the Ministry of Education since 2022 to support capacity development for persons with disabilities based in local communities and to establish a community-centered lifelong education foundation for persons with disabilities.

Seo-gu has achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for the contest for three consecutive years by operating customized lifelong education programs tailored to different types of disabilities through a network established with 16 day care centers and other institutions in the district, centered around the Seo-gu Disabled Welfare Center, and by creating learning-type jobs.

This year, to create a disability-friendly lifelong learning city, Seo-gu plans to operate a total of 30 customized programs by disability type, including ▲14 daily life programs such as culture and arts, humanities, and health ▲3 programs for professional vocational skill enhancement and independence support such as qualification acquisition ▲8 programs linked with schools for youth career exploration and social integration ▲1 citizen participation program for developing democratic citizenship qualities and capabilities ▲4 infrastructure programs to strengthen the roles of institutions and activate networks.

They will also operate the ‘Barrier-Free Village Map Making’ program, in which persons with and without disabilities participate together, distributing village maps to disability-related institutions and public places in the district to improve citizens’ awareness of disabilities.

Newly established and operated at each center for persons with developmental disabilities is the ‘Disability Sports Stacking’ program, and various activities for social integration, including a performance sharing meeting, are also planned.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, said, “We will consider various policies and measures to provide lifelong learning without discrimination,” adding, “We will continue to spare no support to create a disability-friendly lifelong learning city where persons with and without disabilities participate together.”