Health ministry inspects heatwave protections for disability-job participants

The health ministry said Tuesday it inspected heatwave protections for participants in its disability jobs program at a Seoul placement agency.

On July 27, the government raised its heatwave disaster crisis alert to the serious level and activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

The inspection focused on health management, emergency contact arrangements and adjustments that move outdoor work indoors or shorten working hours during heat waves, along with safety guidance and regular health checks.

"With heat waves becoming more prolonged due to climate change, it is essential to operate the program with participants' health and safety as the highest priority," said Cha Jeon-gyeong, director-general for disability policy at the Health Ministry.

Launched in 2007, the public jobs program gives unemployed people with disabilities aged 18 and older occupational experience, income support and opportunities for social participation. It operates about 50 job types across general, welfare and specialized categories tailored to participants' disability levels and characteristics. Under the proposed 2026 government budget, the program would support 35,846 people, 2,300 more than 33,546 in 2025.

At the center, the inspection covered disability-accessibility monitoring, in which participants check whether public institutions properly maintain facilities for people with disabilities. The role is one of three jobs added to welfare-type positions in 2026, alongside easy-to-read material review and promotional-support work. During heat waves, the work minimizes on-site monitoring in favor of organizing and analyzing previously collected data indoors.