Seoul City Begins Comprehensive Human Rights Survey of Welfare Facilities for Disabled People

by Sung Kiho

Published 17 Apr.2023 06:00(KST)

Investigation of User Abuse and Human Rights Violations at 326 Locations

Seoul City announced on the 17th that it will conduct a 'Human Rights Status Monitoring' in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Seoul Disability Rights Advocacy Agency to detect early signs of abuse against persons with disabilities in welfare facilities and to prevent human rights violations.

Seoul City Begins Comprehensive Human Rights Survey of Welfare Facilities for Disabled People

The 'Human Rights Status Monitoring' aims to identify abuse and human rights conditions of persons with disabilities. Seoul City classifies disability welfare facilities by type into ▲Short-term Residential Facilities for Persons with Disabilities ▲Residential Facilities for Persons with Disabilities ▲Vocational Rehabilitation Facilities for Persons with Disabilities ▲Daycare Facilities for Persons with Disabilities, Group Homes, and Lifelong Education Centers for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, and conducts a full survey on one type each year in a four-year cycle.

This year, monitoring will be conducted on 326 locations (133 daycare facilities for persons with disabilities, 169 group homes for persons with disabilities, and 24 lifelong education centers for persons with developmental disabilities).

This inspection is jointly conducted by Seoul City, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Seoul Advocacy Agency to establish a joint response system for disability abuse and to enhance on-site response capabilities.

Prior to the start of the main survey, on the 12th, the 'Seoul City Human Rights Status Monitoring Kick-off Meeting by Type of Disability Welfare Facility' was held at the Irum Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, hosted by the Seoul Advocacy Agency. The event was attended by representatives from Seoul City, the Seoul Advocacy Agency, the Women and Youth Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Abuse Prevention Officers (APO) under Seoul City jurisdiction, and officials from the monitored facilities. The meeting included sharing and discussion of the survey overview and monitoring plans.

The status survey will have a preparation period until May, including preliminary monitoring of target facilities and recruitment and training of interviewers, followed by monitoring and joint inspections from June to October. Finally, the survey will conclude with the 'Human Rights Status Monitoring Performance Sharing Meeting' in December.

Additionally, the Seoul Advocacy Agency plans to share and educate on the monitoring results of human rights conditions in disability welfare facilities and to develop improvement measures to guarantee human rights and prevent abuse according to facility type.

Ko Gwang-hyun, Director of the Disability Welfare Policy Division of Seoul City, stated, “The city conducts human rights status monitoring of disability welfare facilities annually in cooperation with the Seoul Disability Rights Advocacy Agency. Through these surveys, we not only prevent abuse but also establish a response system for disability abuse in collaboration with related organizations.” He added, “We will strive to raise the standards of disability welfare facilities so that persons with disabilities can feel comfortable wherever they go.”