PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES STRUGGLE AMID PANDEMIC

[Anchor Lead]

Tuesday was National Disabled Persons Day in Korea. With the prolonged pandemic, daily life has been through changes marked by distancing, mask wearing and virtual contact. People with disabilities say those changes are tougher for them.

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Physically disabled Kim Si-hyeong visits a fast food restaurant. From opening the weighty door to filling in the entry log, nothing is easy. The automated ordering machine is out of reach and using the restroom on the second floor is near impossible.

[Soundbite] Kim Si-hyeong(Daegu Disabled People rehabilitation Center）: "There is a button for us to press but if it’s busy or an employee can’t come to help, we just have to wait."

Due to so-called "untact" transactions amid the pandemic, ATMs have become more prevalent. But entering the ATM vestibule is also a challenge for the disabled, while the machines are too high for wheelchair users.

[Soundbite] Kim Si-hyeong(Daegu Disabled Ppl rehabilitation Center）: "In a wheelchair, you can’t see the touch screen of the ATM because the angle is　too low."

Here, Jang Se-il, who is hearing-impaired, visits a franchised coffee shop. He can’t use the drive-thru where orders are taken through verbal communication. Even inside the store, he can’t read the employee’s mouth to figure out what she is saying.

[Soundbite] Jang Se-il(VOICE STAND-IN) : "The mask conceals the mouth so we can’t lipread. Even face to face, communication is solely based on sound."

The inconveniences are increasingly becoming a matter of survival.

[Soundbite] Jang Se-il(VOICE STAND-IN) : "I made suggestions to the company several times but nothing has changed. Technological advancements don’t appear to benefit disabled people."

Even in everyday life, people with disabilities continue to face isolation and a host of challenges.