○ Gyeonggi Province provides information on barrier-free amenities at public facilities for mobility impaired individuals
○ Launching ceremony for smart app service attended by provincial assembly members, public officials, Gyeonggi-do Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (KGPPD) representatives and mobility impaired individuals

On November 3, Gyeonggi Province launched a ‘convenience facility information app’ that identifies and provides directions to nearby facilities (e.g. accessible toilets and lifts) for the mobility impaired, including individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women.

On the same day, a launching ceremony was held for the smart app in front of the Gyeonggido Assembly’s main entrance in the presence of individuals in wheelchairs (the app’s target users), as well as members of the Health & Welfare Committee of the Gyeonggido Assembly and KGPPD representatives.

The ‘convenience facility information app’ is an expanded version of an existing Gyeonggi Province app that was developed in 2019. The older version only provided information on facilities, while the expanded app offers a location search service that enables users to find nearby parking spaces, washrooms, infant facilities, lactation rooms, lifts, and ramps. The app has also been integrated with a navigation app so as to provide directions to selected facilities, and features a voice recognition function for improved convenience. In addition, the app also displays photos of facilities for elderly users who may find it difficult to locate a facility using the mobile map alone.

Of particular note, 40 mobility impaired individuals acted as field surveyors of convenience facilities in cities and counties of the province, contributing to the development of a database by visiting and taking photos of related sites. The app also allows users to add facilities that are not shown on the map, so two-way communication between app administrators and users is also anticipated.

Anyone can download the ‘convenience facility information app simply by searching for ‘Gyeonggi Province convenience facility information’ in the App Store or Play Store.

During the launching event, Bang Jae-yul, Chair of the Health and Welfare Committee of the Gyeonggido Assembly, said, “Thank you for working hard to develop this app. All the members of the Health and Welfare Committee will continue to work hard to improve quality of life for the mobility impaired.”

Moon Jeong-hee, Director General of the Welfare Bureau, said, “I will work hard on the operation and management of this app, as well as on the expansion of the app to the rest of the country. Gyeonggi Province will also take the lead in promoting the human rights of the mobility impaired.”

Meanwhile, the ceremony attendees, including Chair Bang Jae-yul, Vice Chair Choi Jong-hyun, and Vice Chair Lee Hye-won of the Health and Welfare Committee of the Gyeonggido Assembly, as well as Assembly Member Kim Yeong-jun, Assembly Member Park Jae-man, KGPPD Chair Kim Gi-ho, and two wheelchair users acting as awareness improvement instructors for the mobility impaired, displayed a banner that said ‘Barrier-free Gyeonggi Province!’ and celebrated the launch of the convenience facility information app.