Korea's Disability to Help

I've been living in Korea for over a year and one thing I've thought a lot about is that everyone looks so good.  Women walk around in mini skirts and high heels.  They have perfectly done hair with a curl to their bangs...even the school girls!  Men walk around in shiny silver suits.  They have perfectly coiffed hair as if they were headed to a photo shoot...even Zoolander would be jealous. Where are the not-so-perfect people?

Korea somehow does really well with hiding the disabled people.  The only disabled people I ever see are the few beggars in the subway stations.  These people are blind, mute, or deaf walking through subway cars with a money bowl playing Korean classical music.  My students swear they aren't all blind, mute, or deaf.  The only crippled people I ever see is the one guy who scoots along laying on a flat plastic cart with wheels in Myeongdong (shopping area).  His pants are made of the same stuff your wellies are made of. Very strange.

In a Korea Times news article, Korea is listed as the second lowest among 23 advanced countries in supporting their disabled citizens.  By supporting, I mean both supporting and spending.  In this report, Korea only spends 0.1% of it's GDP while the highest is Norway spending 2.6%.  Korea is worse than Hungary 0.2% or Mexico 0.7%!

In Korea, disabled people are seen as pitiful and weak.  Many of my students hardly ever see handicapable people in their school.  They have to go to different schools.  They have to live in separate places.  Thus, they hardly socialize at all.  With only a vocational education if they get one at all, they end up getting labor jobs.  In 2008, 89.9% were able to work, but face social prejudices including being turned away from getting job licenses.

Tomorrow, I start teaching Medical Miracles.  It's a Giga level book about handicapable people overcoming their disabilities.  Sadly, Korean children think it's hilarious to talk about handicaps and then imitate them. "Who can pick up their pencil without their hand?"  This is a very interesting question followed by failed attempts surrounded by laughter.  The other day I created a project for them asking them to be explorers in Antarctica.  They had to face two problems and create two solutions.  One group had encountered a handicap native who stole their noodles!  The explorers ended up killing him.  Funny, but not funny at the same time.

Medical Miracles: Chungdahm Book

At least Korea has made an effort by creating yet another holiday: April 20th the Day of Persons with Disabilities. What do you know?  It's the same day as Hitler's birthday and pot smokers celebration of cannabis!

You can read the article here.

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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100419000574