Thresholds Removed and Larger Text... Seoul Expands 'Designs for the Vulnerable' in Major Facilities

Seoul Design Foundation Signs Agreement with Four Institutions

Expanding Universal Design for All

Discussions to Broaden Improvements in Mobility and Guidance Systems

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand the application of design concepts that consider socially vulnerable groups—including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—to major facilities throughout the city. This approach, known as Universal Design, means "design for all," and aims to ensure everyone can conveniently use services.

The Seoul Design Foundation announced on April 30 that, on April 29 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), it signed a "Multilateral Business Agreement for Promoting Awareness of Universal Design for the Socially Vulnerable" with the Korea Asset Management Corporation, Korea Veterans Welfare and Medical Service, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, and E-Land Welfare Foundation.

On the 29th, at DDP, Cha Kanghee, CEO of Seoul Design Foundation, Eom Taeju, Head of Korea Asset Management Corporation, Shin Hyunseok, Director of Korea Veterans Welfare and Medical Service, Mok Seonggyun, Vice President of Seoul Red Cross Hospital, and Jang Gwanggyu, Chairman of E-Land Welfare Foundation, took a commemorative photo after signing a multilateral business agreement. Seoul Design Foundation

This agreement was initiated to apply universal design in public policies and everyday environments. Under the agreement, Korea Asset Management Corporation will improve the safety and evacuation support environment in public parking lots; Korea Veterans Welfare and Medical Service will enhance mobility in two veterans' residential facilities; Seoul Red Cross Hospital will improve movement and guidance systems within the hospital, such as eliminating thresholds; and E-Land Welfare Foundation will apply universal design to improve accessibility and convenience in its cafeterias.

Each project will be implemented on-site throughout the entire process—from user assessment, to presenting improvement plans, to actual changes in the environment. The core objective is to drive meaningful changes in the field, not just end with numbers or reports.

The foundation will assign five carefully selected consultants from among its 150 design experts, each with specialized expertise in areas such as service design, architecture, space, visual design, product design, and marketing. These professionals are hands-on experts who have participated in the Seoul Public Design Promotion Committee's activities and the foundation's universal design (UD) consulting projects from 2024 to 2025.

Following the signing of the agreement, the projects will move immediately into the implementation phase. In May, each institution will begin with an orientation, followed by analysis and design reflecting user feedback from June to August. Environmental improvements will be carried out from September to October, and in November, a session will be held to share the overall project outcomes. The agreement is valid for two years from the date of signing, and the results of the consulting will be used to expand similar facilities and to establish policy foundations at each institution.

Based on the cases accumulated through this agreement, the foundation plans to develop more sophisticated universal design guidelines and cooperation models, and to evolve these into practical models that can be expanded beyond the public sector into the private sector. The participating organizations also expect to strengthen their ESG management and social responsibility by improving environments for the socially vulnerable.

Cha Kanghee, CEO of Seoul Design Foundation, stated, "This agreement is significant in that it connects the value of universal design to real social change. Through this collaboration, we will spread positive influence as we move forward together, and by achieving tangible results, we will help universal design take root throughout society."

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