Ms. A, who lived in a welfare facility for more than 20 years, recently secured her own home through the "Community-Based Independent Living Support Pilot Program for People with Disabilities." "I don't think I'll ever forget the excitement of opening the door to a home in my own name for the first time," she said. "The biggest change is that I can now cook a bowl of ramen by myself and spend time alone." For Ms. A, the everyday happiness of eating when she wants and designing her own daily routine has become invaluable.
Bucheon City's life-oriented policies supporting independence and the return to daily life for people with disabilities are producing tangible results.
According to Bucheon City on Friday, the city is supporting the community settlement of people with disabilities who have left residential facilities through the Community-Based Independent Living Support Pilot Program. Introduced in October 2024, the program is a housing-maintenance support model based on the "one person, one home" principle. Last year, four households including Ms. A successfully achieved community independence for the first time. While the number remains small, officials say it marks a meaningful start, signaling that independence policies for people with disabilities have begun to function in earnest.
The city's support extends beyond housing to life after independence. Through tailored services including subsidies for home appliance purchases, life skills education, regular health checkups and job placement, the city backs residents as they stand on their own. The city is also running the "Nurim Savings Account" program to help build assets. The Nurim Savings Account is a one-to-one matching savings scheme that helps young people with severe disabilities build assets by having Gyeonggi Province and its cities and counties match the same amount that participants save each month. Last year, about 330 people participated, receiving 287 million won ($200,000) in matching funds.
Support to improve access to information is also being strengthened. Bucheon City has installed a "Telecoil Zone" at the Bucheon Disability Welfare Center in Nae-dong, Ojeong-gu, for people with hearing impairments, allowing users of hearing aids and cochlear implants to hear audio signals more clearly. The city explained that on-site satisfaction is high because users can access public services such as meetings, education and counseling simply by adjusting their hearing aid settings, without the need for separate equipment.
Mr. B, an actual user, said, "In the past, I had to ask things repeatedly during counseling because of background noise, or barely keep up with conversations by reading lips. Now I can hear the other person's voice clearly and receive counseling much more comfortably."
Bucheon City also operates a "Sign Language Interpretation Center" and a "Living Support Center for the Visually Impaired and Others" to support communication and mobility for people with disabilities. Both facilities are quickly taking root, with each serving around 10,000 users last year. In addition, the city is working with organizations such as the Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled to install ramps at 18 small local facilities and create barrier-free deck pathways at major attractions, putting significant effort into improving mobility rights.
Jung Ae-kyung, director of Bucheon City's Welfare Bureau, said, "We will lower the thresholds of daily life so that differences do not become discrimination, and further solidify the foundation for people with and without disabilities to live together."
