I am Yoon SangYong , the head of the Chungbuk National University Disability Support Center.
What is disability?
While many people have their own definitions of disability, disability for me means ‘types of events and inevitable life conditions that we naturally experience as we move along with our life’. Some are born with innate disabilities. Others aquire disabilities through disease and accidents living in this complicated modern society. Even though we do not have these experiences, we all go through the aging process, another form of disability, that involves the decline of body function and we end up experiencing difficulties in our wellbeing and require others’ help.

The important question is not whether or not we have disabilities, but whether or not people with disabilities can have equal rights to lead their lives and to participate in society along with those without disabilities. Disabilities will not be considered a disability under the conditions in which our society has: public transportation that people with disabilities can use without inconvenience, disability-friendly convenient amenities in public and private institutions, and policies that makes it possible for people with disabilities to pursue self-autonomous personal and social lifestyles. I hope that Chungbuk National University will be a close community and maintain barrier-free environment. To make this happen, the Chungbuk National University Disability Support Center will collaborate with parents of students with disabilities, members of the university and the local community, and promise to devote ourselves to the task of creating a barrier-free environment with ceaseless effort.
Thank you.