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Creating an Inclusive Everyday Life for All… Busan Metropolitan City to Hold the 46th Disability Day Commemorative Event

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that it will hold the “46th Disability Day Commemorative Event” today (20th) at 10:30 a.m. at the indoor gymnasium of Gangseo Sports Park to enhance understanding of persons with disabilities and to create a space where people with and without disabilities can share empathy together.

The Disability Day event began following the United Nations’ designation of 1981 as the “International Year of Disabled Persons.” In accordance with the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act, the period starting April 20 each year is designated as “Disability Week,” during which various events are held.

This event is sponsored by the city and organized and hosted by the Busan Federation of Organizations of the Disabled. Approximately 5,000 participants are expected to attend, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, Busan Metropolitan Council Vice Chair Lee Jong-hwan, Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun, along with persons with disabilities, their families, and students from special schools.

Event Overview for the 46th Disability Day Commemorative Event
Date and Time: April 20, 2026 (Monday), 10:30–15:00 (including side events)
Venue: Indoor gymnasium and outdoor basketball courts of Gangseo Sports Park
Participants: Approximately 5,000 persons with disabilities, their families, and students from special schools
Program: Commemorative ceremony, celebratory performances, side events, exhibitions, and operation of a children’s zone
Organizer: Busan Federation of Organizations of the Disabled

This year’s event, themed “Creating an Inclusive Everyday Life for All,” will include a reading of the Charter of Rights for Persons with Disabilities, awards for distinguished contributors, celebratory performances (including a poetry theater performance by the Busan Women with Disabilities Association), an exhibition of works by young artists with developmental disabilities, operation of a children’s zone, and experiential and promotional booths run by 37 participating organizations and institutions.

In particular, the celebratory performance titled “Carrying Longing to the Sunflower Field” will be presented by “Mulgyeol,” a poetry theater group composed of eight women with disabilities. Together with an exhibition featuring works by nine artists with developmental disabilities, the event is expected to serve as a cultural occasion that fosters empathy and communication between people with and without disabilities.

In celebration of Disability Week, Busan Metropolitan City also plans to continue expanding public awareness and social empathy by operating various participation and experiential programs across welfare centers and organizations for persons with disabilities throughout the city.

Earlier, on the 18th, the “13th Ivy Walking Festival,” an awareness campaign hosted by the Busan Association of Rehabilitation Centers for Persons with Disabilities, was successfully held with around 2,000 participants. In addition, throughout Disability Week, a variety of commemorative events will take place across Busan, including an awareness improvement contest hosted by the Busan Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, a family sports day with staff hosted by the Seo-gu Rehabilitation Center, and movie screenings hosted by the Buk-gu Rehabilitation Center.

Mayor Park Heong-joon is expected to state, “Although there is still a long way to go, we will continue to build a world-class inclusive city where disability does not lead to discrimination and where everyone can naturally enjoy everyday life,” adding, “We will realize a city where differences do not become discrimination and where no one is excluded from daily life.”