No.159 / Sep 5, 2022
Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) resumed its protest on August 1. The protest was started at 7:30 a.m. at Gwanghwamun Station, and it continued until the protesters reached the National Assembly building. It was on December 3 last year that SADD first protested on the subway during the morning rush hour, and it has since continued to stage a protest by taking the subway from a different station in the Seoul metropolitan area every month. SADD has been demanding the passing of a bill that guarantees the rights to move, education, and labor for the impaired. Among the group’s main demands is that the government secure budgetary funds for the rights of people with disabilities in the 2023 fiscal plan. To be more specific, they are demanding that next year’s budgetary allocation for the rights of people with disabilities be on par with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) average budget.
With the protest leading to disruption of subway services, citizens have shown mixed reactions to it. Those supporting it argue that everyone should be guaranteed the right to move, while Justice Party lawmaker Jang Hye-young has described SADD members as vulnerable people who had no choice but to stage protests to ensure their right to ride the subway. To address the issue, the Presidential Transition Committee has released a review of barrier-free installation of one or more elevators per station, complete rollout of call taxis for the impaired by 2027, and introduction of a private budget system for the impaired. However, SADD has said that a specific budget must be established first to guarantee these basic rights, because the transportation infrastructure for people with disabilities cannot be improved without sufficient budget. On the contrary, those against SADD’s protest say that the group’s demands are unrealistic. According to them, currently, there is at least one elevator at 264 stations, by the Seoul Transportation Corporation’s efforts, and construction of an elevator has been scheduled for this year at 10 other stations, which means that about 95% subway stations will have an elevator; however, the demand for an elevator at all stations could be a burden on the nation’s finances. In other words, not many citizens are convinced by the protest. Korea Research International conducted a survey among 929 people from June 3 to 6—85% of the respondents said that they supported the extensive operation of low-floor buses, mandatory installation of wide-area network centers, and establishment of a system to guarantee mobility right for the impaired; this means that citizens fully support SADD’s key demands. However, only 61% of the respondents said that they supported the protest itself, while 39% said that they have resistance to the protest and would negatively affect their perceptions of the impaired.
The issue of the disability budget has not yet been resolved. This is because more time is needed to formulate a plan that satisfies all groups involved. The Ajou Globe (The AG) hopes that a consensus is reached at the earliest so that SADD, the government, and citizens are all satisfied.
By Yang Ha-yoon, AG Reporter
purplei0454@ajou.ac.kr
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