Correction orders possible based on braille survey results
Jung Hee-yong: 'Bills aim to address real difficulties faced by visually impaired'
People Power Party lawmaker Jung Hee-yong, who also serves as the party's secretary-general, announced Wednesday that he had introduced two bills aimed at improving daily accessibility for visually impaired people and promoting braille use, marking the 100th anniversary of the promulgation of hangul braille.
The two bills — amendments to the Braille Act and the Special Act on Public Housing — were introduced Tuesday. Under the current Braille Act, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may conduct surveys on visually impaired people's braille proficiency, public awareness of braille, and the overall braille-use environment. Jung's office said there has long been criticism that the law lacks a legal basis for follow-up action even when problems are identified through such surveys.
The proposed amendment to the Braille Act would require the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct an annual survey on braille use in consultation with the Minister of Health and Welfare, and to make the results public.
When survey findings indicate a need for improvement in the spread or use of braille, the culture minister would be empowered to demand corrective action from relevant public institutions, hospitals, schools and other organizations. The bill also requires the heads of those institutions to notify the culture minister of their implementation plans within 90 days of receiving such a demand.
The proposed amendment to the Special Act on Public Housing would make it mandatory for electronic access systems at the entrances of public housing to include accessibility features for people with disabilities.
Under the bill, when the state, local governments, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation or other public housing developers install electronic access systems at the entrances of public housing units they build or supply, those systems must include braille and voice-guidance features for visually impaired and hearing-impaired residents. The bill also establishes a legal basis for the state and local governments to subsidize the cost of installing such equipment.
The amendments reflect findings from a survey on the braille-use environment conducted by the National Institute of Korean Language. In the institute's 2025 survey of 300 visually impaired people who can read braille, conducted in April, 74.3 percent — 223 respondents — identified the absence of braille on keypads at apartment building entrances and front-door locks as the most urgent issue requiring improvement.
"On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the promulgation of hangul braille, I introduced these amendments to practically resolve the difficulties that visually impaired people face in their daily lives," Jung said. "I will continue to do my utmost to pursue warm-hearted legislation, policies, and budget and project initiatives that can be a source of strength for the visually impaired and other vulnerable groups."
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