Forced ‘Home Alone’
-The disabled in Korea still
dream a dream
President
Park Geun-hye stated this government will strongly support social welfare, in
particular neglected groups. She announced increases in the welfare budget and
some advanced aid to minority in society.
In
comparison to England where I live in now, Korean social safety net is quite
well developed at some points. Compulsory courses till middle school, medical
insurance systems[1]
and some parts of welfare systems in parallel to universal benefits are as good
as any developed countries’. But this benefit and support is the preserve of
non-disabled person in Korea.
The
thing I was shocked about in England at first was when I was working out at
gym. It is not hard to find someone sitting on his/her wheelchair doing exercises.
Usually disabled people in Korea tend to stay home; even if they want to go out,
as they become the center of attention. . Disabled people in Britain perform
the same tasks as non-disabled, and nobody around them (except me) is surprised
or embarrassed. I am addicted to the gym, and have never seen a disabled person
working out in Korea, except in rehab.
I
got to see something more while living here. It is not hard to find packages
with Braille printed on side, box of painkillers, jars of strawberry jam, and
so many everyday goods have Braille. I asked my sister in Korea to check if
Korean products have Braille either. But as expected, no such luck. . Thinking
about the market in Korea, I have never seen deaf people shopping at the mall.
In
Korea, people easily tend to think that disabled people cannot be independent
and are always reckoned to be persons who have to be nursed. A few years ago,
there was a social campaign that aiming to change the phrase ‘disabled people’
to ‘disabled friend’ to make disabled people be more familiar to non-disabled
people. But this is apparently a self-centered idea of non-disabled people and
it can be considered a part of an arrogance of non-disabled people. Disabled
people are not object of pity; they do not need to be our friend. What they
really want is neither money nor economic subsidies[2], they
just hope to go out without public attention, as non-disabled people do, as
part of the society member. Changed our biased and prejudiced views of disabled
people as unable to care for themselves is more important than economic
benefits. So we should speak to our President, ‘It’s attitude, stupid!’.
[1] This well developed universal
system also cannot be characteristic of Korean welfare since Park’s cabinet
decides to privatize medical insurance system.
[2]
Of course, this responses are from middle class, who can afford to attend
university, our society’s neglected in welfare area still exists.
오늘 감기약먹다가 점자 보고 갑자기 이 글 생각이 났다. 영국에서 살아보니 영국이 딱히 선진국인가? 내가 여기서 뭘 배울 수 있는 지 맨날 욕하지만 이런 걸 보면 또 한국에 있을 때는 알 수 없었던 문제가 보이기도 한다. 다소니 봉사활동을 하면서 장애인에 대한 공부도 좀 하고 주변에 장애를 가진 사람들이 많아서 (우리 아빠도 수술하시고 나서는 장애 등급은 나왔으니) 이런 게 눈에 더 잘 들어오는 지도 모르겠다.
왜 장애인들에게는 꿈, 장애인들에게는 욕구가 없다고 생각했는지. 그 사람들도 천편일률적으로 마사지, 제과제빵 말고 하고 싶은 게 있을테고, 슈퍼가서 장보는 소소한 즐거움들도 누릴 권리가 있는데. 특히나 약 같은 경우에는 위급할 때 찾아 먹어야하는데 시각장애인들은 누가 옆에 없으면 약도 못먹는 상황이다.
박 선배가 4대악 같은 뻘짓 대신 이런 거나 좀 볼 수 (있을리가 없지)
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