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NHRCK Recommended Policy Formulation to Activate the Use of Guide Dogs for the Disabled
Date : 2006.06.28 00:00:00
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National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) undertook a research project from November 2005 to February 2006 on the discrimination of the blind, the hearing impaired and the physically disabled in the upbringing and use of guide dogs. At the conclusion of this research project and related seminars and discussion forums, the NHRCK recommended the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the local goverment heads to establish policies to abolish current barriers and to activate the use of guide dogs.
The Commission recognized that there needs to be a systematic management and policy formulation for the upbringing and use of guide dogs as well as the operation of guide dog training institutes at the government level. It was identified through the research project that currently there are only two guide dog training institutes, the " Samsung Fire Insurance Training Institute for Guide Dogs" and " Isaac Training Institute for Guide Dogs" , in Korea. The two institutes have distributed 111 guide dogs so far to the visually impaired, hearing impaired, and physically impaired. Out of the 36,183 first and second class (in Korea, the blind or visually impaired are classified into 6 different classes depending on the degree of impairment) visually impaired people, 58 are using guide dogs. Only 42 out of 46,422 first and second class hearing impaired and 11 out of 126,825 first and second class physically impaired are using guide dogs. Compared to the number of disabled people who need the assistance of guide dogs, there is an absolute lack of training institutes and guide dogs.
This in turn results in a long waiting period of more than a year to be distributed with a guide dog. The research identified these as one of the major contributing factors to the obstruction of mobility rights and social participation of the disabled.
Through the recommendation, the NHRCK pointed out that the government is providing huge financial support for the research and distribution of mechanical aid instruments in order to guarantee mobility rights and to enhance the welfare of the disabled. The same should apply to guide dogs that are acknowledged as much fundamental as mechanical aid instruments in terms of rehabilitation and assistance for the disabled.
