A study on the policy for the families caring for people with disabilities : Based on the expansion of public support and improving accessibility

Abstract

Families have played the single most significant role in looking after people with disabilities in Korea and, albeit belatedly, public discussions on how to support them in a systematic way have recently begun. Following the enforcement of the Act on Welfare Support for Children with Disabilities in 2012 and the Act on Guarantee of Rights of and Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities in 2015, public services for the families of children with disabilities have been established along with support centers for children with disabilities. However, there are limitations in that these services are not inclusive for all ages and disability types. This study aims to find an efficient way to support families caring for people with disabilities, and views it as a matter of two overlapping areas. One is ‘family policies for care’ and another is ‘disability policies for the families of people with disabilities’. Policies for the families of children with disabilities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Korea were examined through the use of an analysis framework that encompasses these two perspectives, and the differences among the policies toward the families of children with disabilities are discussed. It draws Implications for Korean policies for the families of people with disabilities. Finally, the subjective care burdens of family caregivers of people with disabilities are examined through focused group interviews. In the conclusion, we proposed several policy suggestions for promoting the rights of children with disabilities and their parents with regard to accessibility and their inclusion in society.