Sogang Welcomes Everyone,

Expanding Barrier-free Design on Campus

- Tearing down existing curbs, installing ramps, and clearing access to handicapped parking areas -

Sogang University has expanded its barrier-free design on campus to create an environment that is equally accessible and usable for everyone. Barrier-free design is one of the core components for increasing social inclusion and diversity. It refers to the removal of physical and psychological barriers that can cause discomfort in the daily lives of people with disabilities, the elderly, and other socially vulnerable groups. The key barrier-free design features include the following: ▲ installing ramps or providing elevators instead of stairs to improve accessibility for wheelchair users and people who have difficulty walking; ▲ providing Braille signs or visual cues and indicators for the visually impaired; ▲ offering subtitles, voice guidance systems, etc. for the hearing impaired; and ▲ providing designated parking areas for the handicapped.

For the expansion of barrier-free design on campus, the walkway from Samsung Gabriel Hall to the Youth Plaza has been widened by removing the existing curb and installing a ramp to provide a more accessible route for people with disabilities. In addition, a designated parking area for people with handicaps is located next to the entrance to the third floor of Matthew Hall. Barrier bars were installed in the area to restrict the parking of personal transit that may block the pathway for the handicapped. These barriers also free up space and facilitate the passage of people.

▲The existing curb was removed and a ramp was installed on the walkway next to Samsung Gabriel Hall

▲ The handicapped parking area in front of the entrance to Matthew Hall is clear of traffic

Sogang University has received the highest rating five times in a row since 2008 in evaluations conducted every three years by the National Institute of Special Education. In particular, Sogang matches educational support staff for students with disabilities to provide them with one-on-one customized services, including lecture transcription, study support, transportation on campus, and dormitory life support. Sogang provides students with hearing impairments with expert shorthand for all subjects and supports the production of textbooks using the OCR program for students with visual impairments. Counseling & Psychological Services are also offered as well as facility supports, such as installing ramps for students who use wheelchairs, voice prompts for visually impaired students and height-adjustable sinks.

Moreover, the Support Center for Students with Disabilities regularly organizes a President’s meeting for Dasoni students (students with disabilities), where the students can make suggestions for improvements and talk about their experiences and perspectives.

At the meeting held in May last year, President Sim Jong-hyeok said, “There should be no place where you can’t go because of your physical disability. We will make long-term plans at the campus to improve the buildings that have already been built so that they can be used without restrictions if possible, and we will make sure that the buildings we build in the future are accessible to everyone without any discomfort.”

Furthermore, the Sogang Gift Shop also sells “Sogang WECAN Cookies” to support the independence of people with developmental disabilities. The program is operated by the Seoul Province of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres for the vocational rehabilitation of people with developmental disabilities, aiming to create a virtuous social cycle through the vocational rehabilitation of people with disabilities.

▲ Sogang WECAN Cookie

Sogang will continue to create a campus where people with disabilities and people without disabilities can work together in harmony by removing physical and psychological barriers. Sogang plans to achieve social integration through the equality of conditions by minimizing the inconvenience of Dasoni students and ensuring their right to reasonable convenience.