April 20 marks the annual Disabled People’s Day, a national observance established to raise public awareness of disabilities and encourage rehabilitation efforts. This day is not merely about recognizing individuals with disabilities; it serves as a crucial opportunity to promote their participation and equality in society. Beyond simple commemoration, it underscores the ongoing need for institutional guarantees of disability rights and continuous efforts to enhance social inclusion and equality.

  Among these rights, mobility rights are fundamental, extending beyond mere transportation convenience to impact all aspects of life, including education, employment, and social participation. However, in regions such as Cheongju and across Chungcheongbuk-do, mobility issues for individuals with disabilities remain a serious concern. Earlier this year, the labor protest led by Chungbuk Solidarity Against Disability (Chungbuk SADD) starkly highlighted the severity of these issues, exposing the precarious state of their rights.

  Although low-floor buses and special transportation services have been introduced in the Chungcheongbuk-do to support mobility for people with disabilities, actual accessibility remains limited. According to the most recent data, approximately 125 low-floor buses are currently in operation in Cheongju, accounting for only 25.9% of all city buses—falling short of the national average adoption rate of 27%. Moreover, the routes for these buses are limited and service intervals are long, making them difficult to use in practice. Special transportation services, such as Happy Call vehicles, were initially operated as regular taxis but are now divided into two categories: voucher taxis, which support travel for non-wheelchair users with limited mobility, and rental taxis designated for the transportation of the vulnerable through agreements with taxi drivers. A total of 65 such vehicles are in operation, still falling far short of the legally required 206 vehicles. In addition, a shortage of drivers for Happy Call specially equipped vehicles has led to situations where available vehicles cannot be dispatched.

  Amid this frustrating reality, calls to guarantee the right to mobility for people with disabilities have gone beyond mere advocacy, turning into direct action. In Jan. of this year, activists from the Chungbuk SADD responded to fines imposed during their mobility rights campaign by declaring their intent to serve prison labor in protest. At a press conference held in front of the Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office, the activists expressed their anger at being criminalized for demanding what they described as fundamental rights. “What we demanded is a right that should be guaranteed by default,” they emphasized. By announcing their willingness to be incarcerated and perform penal labor, they directly confronted the judicial measures that restrict the rights of people with disabilities.

  In particular, the lack of adequate accessibility within detention facilities has exposed yet another layer of discrimination, positioning this case as a powerful symbol of the structural issues faced by people with disabilities—issues that go far beyond the scope of legal punishment. In light of these developments, a CBT reporter spoke with Kim Ji-hye, Secretary General of the Chungbuk SADD to hear her perspective.

  Policies on mobility rights for people with disabilities are, at their core, designed to ensure that individuals who face significant restrictions in movement can access more equitable and universal modes of transportation. Through years of policy dialogue and advocacy, there have been some visible achievements—such as increased budget allocations, the hiring of additional drivers, and the establishment of a regional mobility support center. However, in essence, direct improvements and responses to the actual mobility needs of people with disabilities remain insufficient. For example, when individuals who do not require mobility aids—such as people with walking disabilities or elderly individuals receiving long-term care—use specially equipped vehicles, it inevitably limits access for wheelchair users who have no alternative transportation options. This highlights the ongoing structural gaps in the system.

  There have been detailed adjustments, such as increasing the number of drivers during peak commuting hours to facilitate smoother transportation. As a result, dispatch wait times have gradually decreased, marking a notable improvement. However, Happy Call services are still fundamentally restricted by the limited number of vehicles and their designated operating hours. Since these constraints remain unchanged, the system has yet to undergo a fundamental transformation.

  Policy improvements must urgently focus on the fact that wheelchair users have no viable alternative means of transportation. Addressing this critical gap should be the central priority in efforts to guarantee mobility rights.

  The decision to engage in prison labor came before the fines were fully covered through fundraising efforts. All of the individuals involved were either recipients of government assistance or people with severe disabilities, making it financially impossible for them to pay the fines. They submitted formal requests for extensions or installment payments through proper administrative channels, but all were denied. As a result, forced labor was the only remaining option. Ultimately, even this path was rejected—highlighting the harsh reality of a system that offers no viable choices. What began as a protest became a sobering recognition of the structural barriers still facing people with disabilities.

  Even in the enforcement of laws, which should be the epitome of fairness, people with disabilities were denied access to basic accessibility facilities and essential support for survival within correctional facilities—simply because of their disabilities. This struggle for mobility rights has always been about challenging an unjust legal system. The activists accepted the legal process and the fines imposed upon them, believing it to be a fair ruling. However, when they sought to serve a labor sentence instead of paying the fine, they were denied that option solely due to their disabilities. Through this protest, we wanted to make it clear that people with disabilities have the undeniable rights to be subject to legal measures on an equal basis with others.

  The Chungbuk SADD will continue to raise its voice to ensure that people with disabilities are guaranteed their rights as equal members of the local community. Just as non-disabled individuals are entitled to their rightful freedoms, the fight will persist until the day which same rights are fully realized for people with disabilities.

  Have you ever seen a people in a wheelchair at a bus stop? Or encountered people with a disability along your daily route? Most people feel unfamiliar or awkward in such moments because they are not used to seeing them. A significant number of people with disabilities, whom we fail to notice, are still confined to their homes or institutions. Please take an interest in ensuring that they can move freely within our communities. Let’s work together to create a society where seeing people with disabilities in public is not unusual but entirely natural—where inclusion is not an exception, but the norm.

  The activists of Chungbuk SADD were denied even the right to serve their labor sentences in correctional facilities that lacked proper accessibility accommodations. They had no financial means to pay the fines and chose labor sentences instead, yet their request was rejected solely due to their disabilities. This starkly reveals that Korea’s legal and institutional systems still fail to meet even the most basic standards for people with disabilities. Ensuring mobility rights is not merely about convenience for a select few. It is a fundamental prerequisite for all members of society to live freely. The freedom to move is the freedom to live, and a society that does not guarantee this right for some cannot truly promise freedom for anyone. On Disabled People’s Day, instead of bouquets and ceremonies, people must demand and create real, tangible change.

2024078018@chungbuk.ac.kr