Seo Yonggyu, Gwangju City Council Member, Points Out Lack of Wheelchair Ramps at Public Event Venues

"Wheelchair Ramps Must Be Installed to Ensure Accessibility for People with Disabilities"

Seoyonggyu, Gwangju City Council member.

There have been claims that the installation of wheelchair ramps on stages at event venues operated by Gwangju City and its local governments is insufficient.

On the 10th, Councilor Seo Yongkyu (Democratic Party, Proportional Representation) of the Gwangju City Council stated, "According to a recent survey, out of 80 public institution event venues in Gwangju City and its local governments, 45 have stage wheelchair ramps installed, 29 do not, and 6 are deemed unnecessary." He added, "We plan to encourage the installation of ramps or wheelchair lifts in accordance with detailed future standards."

Of the total 80 venues, 45 (56.25%) have stage wheelchair ramps installed, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities who use wheelchairs to participate in public events.

On the other hand, 29 venues (36.25%) do not have stage wheelchair ramps, meaning accessibility for people with disabilities is not guaranteed. For the 6 venues (7.5%) where installation is deemed unnecessary, it was found that, depending on the venue's structure or purpose, wheelchair access is either not required or alternative facilities have been provided to ensure accessibility.

There are plans to install ramps at four additional venues in the future, and although efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities are ongoing, there have been criticisms that the current installation plans are insufficient compared to the actual situation.

Councilor Seo emphasized, "Looking at the current situation, some public institution event venues in Gwangju City have considered wheelchair accessibility, but there are still many venues without installations. To fully guarantee participation for people with disabilities, the installation of stage wheelchair ramps needs to be further expanded."

Councilor Seo also added, "All public institution event venues should be required to install stage wheelchair ramps, and budgets should be allocated for this purpose. This is an important measure to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities, and each institution should establish and implement plans for ramp installation."

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