Dongdaemun-gu launches 'Free Life School' for families of people with developmental disabilities

Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul held its first "Intergenerational Free Life School for Families of People With Developmental Disabilities," an overnight program that ran May 15-16 at Seoul Women's University.

The program was organized as part of the district's lifelong learning city project for people with disabilities. It was designed to give both individuals with developmental disabilities and the family members who have long cared for them a chance to step away from daily routines — to rest, learn and deepen their understanding of one another.

The venue was the Free Life School facility on the Seoul Women's University campus, where the university's lifelong education center already operates one- and two-night "SWU Free Life School" courses using practice housing units and classrooms. Dongdaemun-gu drew on the campus's nature-friendly setting — forests, lawns, program rooms and rest areas — to build a residential lifelong-learning program tailored to families of people with developmental disabilities.

Fourteen people from six families took part. The program centered on rest and emotional recovery. Participants began with physical activities including African Mandeng dance, then moved on to social skills education, family communication exercises and community-building sessions. Moving together and sharing stories gave participants space to reflect on feelings they rarely express in everyday life.

Through the program, Dongdaemun-gu expanded the scope of support for these families beyond simple education to encompass rest, recovery and relationship-building. Because caregiving for people with developmental disabilities often extends over many years, families as a whole need opportunities for emotional support and respite.

The district said it hopes the Free Life School will give every family member the strength to understand one another and return to daily life renewed.

Dongdaemun-gu was newly designated as a disability lifelong learning city in the 2025 competition run by the National Institute of Special Education under the Ministry of Education, and was selected again in 2026 — two consecutive years. This year the district secured 36 million won (about $24,500) in national funding and is running 27 programs across two projects, while designating eight institutions, including a lifelong learning center, as disability lifelong learning sites to broaden community-based learning access.

The district plans to run one more Free Life School session in the second half of the year. It will incorporate participant feedback on satisfaction and on-site observations to refine the program's content and format, with plans to gradually expand participation opportunities based on demand.

"Lifelong learning for people with disabilities should not stop at offering classes — it must be a process in which individuals and their families learn together, rest and rebuild relationships within the community," acting district mayor Kim Ki-hyun said. "Dongdaemun-gu will build a sustainable lifelong learning city for people with disabilities, where no one is left behind and the right to lifelong learning is guaranteed for all."