Many things we take for granted in our daily lives, like ordering a pizza or reserving
tickets over the phone,... are tasks that people with hearing or speech disabilities
couldn't possibly manage on their own.
That's why Korea's public institutions are working to improve their services to make
them more considerate and inclusive of those who use sign language.
Our News Features tonight with Oh Soo-young.
Calling a taxi, ordering food or tracking a parcel -- all it takes is a quick phone
call.
But it's not so simple for Park Mi-ae, a Seoul resident with a hearing disability.
Today, she makes a video call to a mediator who can help her change a dinner reservation.
"I'd like to change the number of people from ten to twelve."
"I'd always asked family or acquaintances for help, but now, I'm very comfortable with
using the service, as the center speaks on my behalf when I call."
The Korean government's information agency offers free mediation services for people
with hearing or speech disabilities through text and video calls, online or through a
smartphone app.
"The number of calls has increased 380 times since the service was launched in 2005.
In the past, most callers requested help with online shopping or ordering food, but nowadays
we provide help with all aspects of life, like finding a job and consulting government
workers."
This is just one of the ways Korea is working to facilitate access to public services for
people who use sign language to communicate.
"There are sign language interpretation centers in every city or county.
You can register at your local center and set up a time to go whenever you need to."
But in emergencies there may not be time to contact a mediator or interpreter.
Last year, a police officer in northern Seoul developed a code of 37 signs through which
people could report crimes or ask for help.
"The signs have been adapted from existing movements so many people can understand them
right away, despite regional differences in the language."
They signs have also facilitated speedier investigations all over the country, especially
now that police reports can be filed through video calls.
Inspector Han is now working on a smartphone app that helps utilize the signs with video
tutorials.
Despite efforts like these,... the fact remains that there are not enough public services
or interpreters to accommodate the roughly 269-thousand people in Korea with hearing
and speaking disabilities.
According to the Korea Association for the Deaf, there are just over 14-hundred people
certified in sign language nationwide.
But with the enactment of a landmark law last year that recognizes Korean sign language
as the official communication medium for the Deaf community,... there are hopes that its
use will become more widespread.
"First, it's about a change in perception -- that sign language interpretation is a
given right.
Now that it's been recognized as a first language, people have the right to receive communication
in sign language, as much as the right to education in Korean.
The law specifies a license to teach Korean sign language.
From 2018 onward, the government will aim to foster instructors for primary to university
education."
Interest in sign language has certainly grown since the law was enacted.
This center in Seoul has recently seen its student enrollment rise to an average of 500
a month, for everything from elementary level courses to advanced interpretation.
"It's the same as learning a foreign language -- just a few months of study doesn't make
you fluent.
It also requires you to use your body, which can be challenging."
It's far from easy, but more and more students are seeking to become licensed in sign language
interpretation.
"With the passage of the law, sign language interpretation is said to be a career with
bright prospects, so many people are coming to study.
We don't just teach the language, we also focus on Deaf culture and the mindset of someone
with a hearing disability."
Those with hearing or speaking disabilities, like office worker Jang Min-young, hope that
more people will soon see them as fellow citizens, instead of disadvantaged people.
"Rather than trying to help us, I hope people learn sign language with the idea of communicating
with us freely.
Since I grew up as a person with a hearing disability, my first language is sign language,
not a vertical language."
People in the Deaf community believe that the more sign language is accepted and used
as a means of visual communication, being deaf or mute will become less and less of
a so-called disability.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.