A City Comfortable for All: What Is Yangsan's Secret?

Barrier-Free Yangsan Project Activity Festa Held
A City Aiming for "Zero Inconvenience"... Dreaming of Everyday Innovation

The Barrier-Free Yangsan Project, an initiative led by Yangsan City and the Yangsan Welfare Foundation since 2023 in collaboration with local residents, is now bearing fruit.

On December 10, Yangsan City held the "Barrier-Free Yangsan Project Activity Festa" at the Yangsan Business Center Convention Hall.

Barrier-Free Yangsan Project Activity Festa. Provided by Yangsan City

This Activity Festa served as an opportunity to share the progress and future plans of the citizen investigation group "Jangppu Crew," which was launched on September 10. The event highlighted the achievements of the Barrier-Free Yangsan Project.

The citizen investigation group, Jangppu Crew-meaning "Break the Barrier"-was formed through an open recruitment process. A total of around 100 participants were selected across four teams: Senior, Youth, Women·Youth·Children, and Safe City. These teams have actively explored various locations in Yangsan, identifying everyday barriers and proposing solutions.

Barrier-Free Yangsan Project Activity Festa. Provided by Yangsan City

As a result, the following initiatives were presented: the Senior Team (Nurungji) proposed extending pedestrian crossing signals and spreading a "respect for speed" culture; the Youth Team (Free Younghon) developed a self-assessment scale for reclusive youth and suggested campaigns to prevent social isolation; the Women·Youth·Children Team (Yeo Cheong Ah) produced videos and songs to address verbal abuse and launched a campaign to "raise the temperature of words"; and the Safe City Team identified wheelchair-accessible "barrier-free stores" and proposed improvements to walking environments for people with mobility challenges.

First, the Senior Team (Nurungji) suggested policies to extend crossing signal times to ensure the walking safety of "speed-vulnerable" groups such as seniors and people with disabilities. They also promoted the "Relaxed Yangsan" culture, encouraging actions such as not pressing elevator close buttons and assigning kiosk assistants, fostering mutual consideration for each other's pace.

The Youth Team (Free Younghon) addressed the growing social issue of youth isolation and reclusion. With the participation of 100 young people, they developed a 15-item "Reclusive Youth Scale" and proposed policies such as the "Youth Heart Temperature Self-Check Campaign" to identify and support at-risk individuals early. These initiatives received significant positive feedback.

The Women·Youth·Children Team (Yeo Cheong Ah) pointed out that "words and attitudes" in daily life can become psychological barriers for some. Under the theme "Our Voices Become Everyday Life," they collaborated with local schools to conduct campaigns reducing verbal abuse and hate speech. They also produced videos and songs to spread the message that a single warm word of respect can raise the "temperature" of the city.

Finally, the Safe City Team investigated four types of physical and psychological barriers: mobility, gaze, communication, and information. They surveyed 301 people, both with and without disabilities, to identify wheelchair-accessible "barrier-free stores" and tourist attractions, which were mapped out. The team also proposed sidewalk improvements and the development of barrier-free travel routes, aiming to create an urban environment where everyone can move freely anywhere.

An official from the city stated, "The Barrier-Free Yangsan Project is not an administration-led initiative, but a process in which citizens take the lead in creating change. We aim to build a relaxed and leisurely community that respects each other's pace, a city where anyone can go anywhere without discriminatory gazes or thresholds, a place where warm words are part of everyday life, a city where young people can take on challenges without isolation, and a Yangsan where everyone can live comfortably without barriers."

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