“Policies and Budgets Must Not Be Reduced During Administrative Integration”
Disability rights organizations in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions have united into a single entity in response to administrative integration, launching full-scale activities and demanding the “scaling up” of disability rights guarantees and welfare policies.
On the afternoon of the 19th, the Jeonnam Gwangju Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition, formed by the merger of the Gwangju Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition and the Jeonnam Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition, is holding a launch press conference on the first floor of the Gwangju Government Complex in Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City. Photo by Yonhap News
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The Jeonnam Gwangju Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition (hereafter “Jeonnam Gwangju DDEC”) held a launch press conference at 2 p.m. on August 19 on the first floor of the Gwangju Government Complex in Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City. The coalition stated, “During the process of administrative integration between Gwangju and Jeonnam, disability policies and budgets must not be reduced or leveled down.”
Previously, the Gwangju Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition and the Jeonnam Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition had each advocated for the guarantee of mobility rights, support for independent living, and the expansion of rights-based budgets. The two groups finalized their organizational integration through a representatives’ meeting held on August 11.
In its founding declaration, the coalition emphasized, “Depending on the region of residence, services supporting activities, freedom of movement, and opportunities for work and education have varied. Administrative integration should be a process of scaling-up, not leveling-down, of disability rights, and no individual should have their existing rights or support stripped away for the sake of unification.”
The coalition further called on local governments to align welfare systems with the region that provided more comprehensive support, and demanded that the following measures be expanded across the unified special city: ▲ expanded supplementary activity support for people with disabilities ▲ guaranteed mobility rights ▲ support for deinstitutionalization and independent living ▲ expansion of rights-centered, customized public employment opportunities ▲ support for lifelong education for people with disabilities ▲ support for independent living centers for people with disabilities.
Kim Jung, the Standing Representative of Jeonnam Gwangju DDEC, stated, “We cannot stand by if disability policies are rolled back during the Gwangju-Jeonnam unification process,” urging local leaders to fulfill their promises and requesting direct meetings.
Seo Mihwa, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, offered congratulatory remarks, saying, “This should serve as an opportunity to eliminate rights disparities and scale up standards, regardless of region of residence. As a member of the National Assembly with a disability, I will work to ensure that the voices from the field are reflected throughout the integration process.”
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Lee Hyungsook, Co-Representative of the Korean Disability Discrimination Elimination Coalition, added, “We will continue to organize strong solidarity actions to ensure that regional disability rights budgets are fully reflected.”
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