Health ministry expands training for disability sports instructors to nationwide

The health ministry said Wednesday that its National Rehabilitation Center will hold a two-day training program for special physical education instructors working at disability welfare centers in Seoul, expanding a program first run last year.

About 50 special physical education teachers and rehabilitation sports staff will attend the second edition of the course, which runs Wednesday and Thursday at the Narae Hall auditorium at the National Rehabilitation Center in Gangbuk-gu, northern Seoul. The Seoul Association of Disability Welfare Centers organizes the event, which the National Rehabilitation Center and the Dongdaemun District Disability Welfare Center jointly host.

The program covers health and nutrition management for people with disabilities, programs tailored to different types of disability, and exercises to improve walking ability for people with central nervous system conditions, along with case studies from participating institutions and networking among the instructors.

The first course was held at the National Rehabilitation Center on Nov. 19 last year.

"I hope this training strengthens the foundation for cooperation among related institutions and spreads sustainable rehabilitation sports services in local communities," said Kim Dong-a, head of the National Rehabilitation Center. "We will continue to take the lead in seeking practical models for the lifelong health management of people with disabilities."

Hwang Ju-yeon, head of the Dongdaemun District Disability Welfare Center, said the program had helped raise the quality of services instructors provide in the field. "We will keep working to realize the right to health for people with disabilities in local communities through integrated rehabilitation and welfare services," she said.

The ministry plans to widen cooperation with public health centers, disability welfare centers and disability sports associations, and to extend the programs and professional training from Seoul to the rest of the country in stages.