Bandabi Sports Center, a "Pie in the Sky" for People with Disabilities Due to Poor Accessibility

Difficulties Using Public Transportation... The Name "Bandabi" Rings Hollow
Min Hyungbae: "Measures Needed to Secure Shuttle Buses and Parking Spaces"

The Bandabi Sports Center, an integrated sports facility designed for both people with and without disabilities, is facing criticism for failing to live up to its original goal of being a "space without discrimination." Instead, the center is being called out for presenting accessibility barriers to people with disabilities. In particular, there are growing concerns that people with disabilities, who often face difficulties using public transportation, find it especially hard to access the facility, making the name "Bandabi" seem meaningless.

On October 27, Assemblyman Min Hyungbae of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju) analyzed data submitted by the Korea Paralympic Committee for the National Assembly audit. The analysis revealed that, as of October this year, 7 out of 35 Bandabi Sports Centers nationwide (about 20%) require more than two hours round-trip by public transportation.

This measurement was based on travel time from the most populous local community center in each city, county, or district, indicating that even people with disabilities living in the area experience significant inconvenience when using the facilities. Furthermore, 22 centers (63% of the total) require more than 30 minutes to reach, highlighting the generally poor accessibility of most centers.

Moreover, only one location-Yangsan City in South Gyeongsang Province-operates a dedicated shuttle bus to improve mobility for people with disabilities. Yangsan City serves as a model case, operating a shuttle bus funded by 270 million won from the Korea Paralympic Committee and the city government. However, other centers have not made similar efforts.

Parking is also an issue. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "Bandabi Sports Center Management and Operation Guidelines," it is recommended that at least 30% of all parking spaces, or a minimum of 20 spaces, be reserved exclusively for people with disabilities. However, a study published by the Korea Paralympic Committee found that only 7 out of 15 centers surveyed (46%) met this recommended standard.

Assemblyman Min stated, "The Bandabi Sports Center, a symbol of sports for people with disabilities, is becoming nothing more than a 'pie in the sky' for those it was meant to serve. Physical accessibility must be guaranteed for people with disabilities to use these centers, and providing shuttle buses and expanding parking spaces are not optional-they are essential."

Meanwhile, the Bandabi Sports Center is an integrated sports facility that guarantees priority use for people with disabilities while also allowing non-disabled people to use it. This project is being promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The government has selected 103 locations so far and has opened 35 centers.

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