Editor's Note : 20th of April is the 'Day of People with disabilities'. The 'Day of people with disabilities' is a day aiming to deepen understanding about neighborhoods with disabilities for Korean citizens while encouraging citizens with disabilities to do rehabilitation. Korea has been celebrating the day of people of disability since 1981. Earlier, the same day has been celebrated by a private organization as a day of rehabilitation since 1972. In 1991, officially, the day was established as a legal anniversary. So, I retrace the practice of social responsibility for people with disabilities as we celebrate the Day of people with disabilities.

[Consumerwide-Youngchul, Woo Reporter/ Yohan, Bok Reporter]  Celebrating the day of people with disabilities, the industry has begun various activities. Businesses are expanding the practice of social responsibility, aiming for a healthy society where all the citizens can stay together regardless of physical conditions. Their steps are not only for the consumption value of people with disabilities, but also directly linked to the consumption value of all.

On the 20th, followed by industry, Baemin published and distributed an easy delivery app manual targeting customers having difficulties with accessing information.

By using the 'Easy delivery app manual', which contains information about app installation, order, payment, anyone who feels difficulties using digital methods, including elderly people to people with a developmental disability, can easily follow the entire process. A web guideline has been made as well for visually impaired people. The web manual gives a voice guide when one can not see the screen. Plus, for people with low vision, high-contrast, magnifying glass, size adjustment functions are added.

Ottogi has hosted the '9th heart visually impaired people chamber ochestra concert' for the 'Day of people with disabilities'. The 'Heart visually impaired people chamber ochestra' is a world-only indoor orchestra that has particularly focused on visually impaired music people. They stopped activities over the time of Covid19, and began again. The whole team is made of 15 members with visual impairness and 10 members without visual impairness and the team is active. Ottogi is active in employing people with disabilities. In 2021, Ottogi has established the 'Ottogi friends', purposing expansion of employing people with disabilities while helping them to find work opportunities. They've employed 20 people with disabilities as permanent workers by the end of 2022.

P&G Korea has designed a braille tag which supports visually impaired customers by distinguishing daily supplies without mistaking. The braille tag is produced in a ring design that can hang on daily supplies, so it is reusable for a number of times. And, the silicon material is endurable in the environment with high temperature and moisture conditions, which might be useful in shower rooms without shape change risk. In addition, they have donated their product worth approx. 29 million won to the 'Visually impaired people corporation'. Last December, P&G Korea hosted a ‘cookie-making event accompanying people with mental disorder’ which aimed for improvement in awareness and prejudice towards people with disabilities. The staff and executives participated in that event.

Hite-Jinro has donated Doganitang (Ox Knee Soup), which can provide for 1500 people, to families who include members with disabilities in Korea as they were celebrating the day of people with disabilities this year. The Hite-Jinro has been hosting the sharing event since 2018. Food is passed on to each family through 10 welfare centers for people with disabilities in areas, which include Busan, Gyounggi, and Seoul.

Tmon is holding a social donation event, in cooperation with a social welfare organization, 'Walk together', that supports 'Family of Seoyoung, 9 years old' for a 2 week period to celebrate the day of people with disabilities. Seoyoung has been suffering from waist down paralysis. The due date is 30th. Anyone can participate in a donation starting from 2 thousand won to 10 thousand won at Tmon. The entire donation is exclusively passed onto the family of Seoyoung and also used for space welfare of low income families with family members with disabilities.

The HDC(Hyundai Development Company) has passed on 10 million won to  the Yongsan welfare foundation in order to support rehabilitation as they were celebrating the 'Day of People with disabilities'. Donations are to be used to purchase body stretching mats which are needed for rehabilitation of people with disabilities.

In relation to this, an Ottogi-related person said, "We are constantly trying and practicing to find ways to contribute to expanding social participation of people with disabilities and improving their quality of life. We will do our best to build a healthy society where people with physical disability and without physical disability may live together."