Local governments to provide 'short-term independent living experience services' to disabled people in home and residential facilities

2024.07.18. The Fair Economy — Kim Ye-ji, a lawmaker on the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, said on the 18th that she has sponsored the Act on Supporting Community Independence and Housing Transition for Persons with Disabilities, which aims to support the housing transition and independence of people with disabilities.

According to Rep. Kim's office, Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which South Korea has ratified, explicitly calls for supporting life and integration in the community and preventing segregation or separation from it. On this basis, countries around the world are implementing policies to foster the community independence of persons with disabilities.

The Korean government, aligning with international trends, aims to realize a society without boundaries between disability and non-disability through customized integrated support under National Policy Task No. 47, and has been implementing a pilot project for community-based independent living support for people with disabilities residing in residential facilities and those living at home since 2022.

Nevertheless, many disabled people living in residential facilities or at home are still struggling to fully exercise their right to self-determination due to a lack of independence support services, which is dampening their will to live independently in the community.

To address these issues, the bill sponsored by Rep. Kim explicitly states that it will lay the groundwork for disabled people who move into the community to settle there and live independent lives through appropriate support, regardless of whether they currently reside in a facility or at home. It also mandates providing housing transition and independence support services.

In addition, the bill stipulates that disabled people selected as recipients of independent living support should be assisted in moving into their own homes or disabled housing according to their individual support plans to maintain a stable life, and that central and regional community integration support centers for disabled people should be established and operated. It also stipulates that local governments should provide short-term independent living experience services to disabled people in home and residential facilities under their jurisdiction and create disability-friendly cities.

"This bill supports housing transition and provides independence support services so that all persons with disabilities, whether living at home or in facilities, can live independently in the community," Rep. Kim said. "We will do our best to ensure the bill passes in the 22nd National Assembly so that disabled people are no longer marginalized or segregated from the community simply because of their disability."