▲No Hyun-ryeong participating in Siheung City’s art career-exploration program for people with disabilities. Provided by Siheung City
Siheung — Kang Geun-joo, Energy Economy News. Last November, at the 2025 CANVAS Art Fair in Seoul, 29-year-old No Hyun-ryeong was selected as an emerging artist. She had originally competed as an athlete in disabled swimming, but when physical limits made continuing as a competitor impossible, she found the Siheung City Art Career Exploration Program for People with Disabilities.
Through that program, No refined the zodiac-animal drawings she had long enjoyed and continued to develop her artistic practice. Her work earned her selection as an emerging artist at the CANVAS Art Fair, opening a new career path.
Kim Chae-seong is another artist from Siheung with a developmental disability. Kim began art activities in high school with support from a special-education teacher, later founded the company ArtGuys, and now supports art programs for people with developmental disabilities.
▲Artist Kim Chae-seong leading Siheung City’s art career-exploration program for people with disabilities. Provided by Siheung City
Yeom Ji-eun, a 30-year-old who made dolls as a hobby, launched her work at the CANVAS Art Fair, exhibited and sold dolls at Siheung City events, and secured employment as a doll artist—her first formal job.
These examples demonstrate how discovering artistic potential among people with developmental disabilities and connecting it to viable careers can change lives. They underscore the importance of providing diverse learning opportunities and hands-on experience.
◆ 2nd year as a lifelong-learning city for people with disabilities — building regional networks
▲On-site activities for building a sustainable lifelong-learning network for people with disabilities in Siheung City. Provided by Siheung City
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in 2024 the number of registered people with disabilities in South Korea was 2,631,356, representing 5.1% of the total population.
The Ministry of Education operates the National Institute of Special Education to support regional capacity-building for people with disabilities. Still, the National Center for the Promotion of Lifelong Education for Persons with Disabilities’ triennial survey found participation in lifelong learning among people with disabilities was only 3.2% in 2023—well below the national average of 32.3%.
To address that gap, local governments are promoting lifelong-learning city initiatives focused on people with disabilities. Last year, the National Assembly passed the Disability Lifelong Education Act to legally guarantee the right to participate, creating an institutional foundation to promote independent living and social inclusion.
Siheung is now in its second year as a lifelong-learning city for people with disabilities. In July 2024 the city’s Lifelong Learning Department formed a dedicated team to lay the groundwork, and the following year Siheung received formal designation, solidifying its capacity to design policies tailored to local needs.
Last year, Siheung built a broad cooperative network centered on the Lifelong Learning Department, Disability Welfare Division, Education Autonomy Division, Youth & Adolescents Division, and libraries, extending partnerships to disability organizations and facilities, educational institutions, and community groups.
◆ Outreach programs expand learning opportunities for people with disabilities
▲Class session from Siheung City’s outreach lifelong-learning program for people with disabilities, Wow — Fun Fun Happiness through Art. Provided by Siheung City
Last year, Siheung offered 20 lifelong-learning programs for people with disabilities, covering areas from Korean literacy and financial education to art-integrated communication, smartphone-based digital literacy, and emotional learning using picture books and animals—designed around learners’ needs.
Notably, the outreach program ran 16 courses with 129 participants: 112 people with disabilities and 17 without. For a group of 10 learners with severe disabilities, the city assigned additional staff to support mobility, communication, and materials, and adjusted pacing to individual needs. That approach improved accessibility while enabling disabled and non-disabled learners to study together and build mutual understanding, winning praise from participants and partners.
◆ Making lifelong learning more accessible for people with disabilities
▲Training course for lifelong-learning instructors and facilitators for people with disabilities in Siheung City, 2026. Provided by Siheung City
This year, building on last year’s achievements, Siheung will deepen its lifelong-learning programs for people with disabilities. Using findings from last year’s Survey on Lifelong Learning for People with Disabilities and Activation Plan, the city systematically analyzed local conditions and learner demand to shape policy directions and program strategies that reflect regional characteristics.
Maintaining its designation and after securing national funding of 47.25 million KRW (approximately 35,438 USD), Siheung will open the Disabled Lifelong Learning Center inside the Jeongwang Lifelong Learning Center in April and implement 17 projects across six areas, including a certification system for disability-friendly learning spaces, the outreach program "Smart Learning," and online courses using the Siheung Education Campus SSOC platform.
The city will also build a pool of instructors and facilitators specialized in lifelong learning for people with disabilities and strengthen professional capacity. In the 2026 Training Program for Specialist Instructors and Facilitators in Lifelong Learning for People with Disabilities, 45 participants completed the course, bringing the total number of trained instructors and facilitators since 2024 to 131. Siheung plans practical on-the-job training with local partners and systematic follow-up to help trainees become field experts.
Siheung is accelerating efforts to create an environment where people with disabilities can learn comfortably across the life course. Through the initiative "Lifelong Learning for Everyone, One Open Learning Seat," the city reserves one priority spot for a learner with a disability in regular classes at the Daya and Jeongwang lifelong-learning centers.
This year, 34 people with disabilities were confirmed as final enrollees for the first session, a step that improves information access and application barriers and helps ensure anyone can participate in lifelong learning regardless of disability.
Additionally, using the Siheung Education Campus SSOC platform, the city will add sign-language videos for the hearing impaired and expand online video-conferencing programs families can use at home.
Kang Geun-joo, reporter kkjoo0912@ekn.kr
