NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF KOREA
Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – July 2022
Article 19 Living Independently and Being Included in the Community
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Deinstitutionalization strategies and measures
□ Current status and problems
ㅇ In 2021, the government announced the ‘Roadmap for Supporting Self-reliance
of Deinstitutionalized Persons with Disabilities in the Community(hereinafter
referred to as the “Deinstitutionalization Roadmap”). This Deinstitutionalization
Roadmap includes setting policy directions and goals for deinstitutionalization,
establishing dedicated organizations and departments, and expanding housing
and welfare services in the community. However, in 2041, when the plan will be
accomplished, the roadmap still recognizes facility residence of persons with
severe disabilities and group homes which correspond to the small-sized
institutions as part of a form of a self-reliant housing, all of which do not conform
to the Convention and General Comment No.5. As for the group home managed
and operated in residential facilities as in the present, the right to control housing
and service is on the facility, so there is a limit to self-reliant life.
ㅇ In addition, the establishment of a monitoring system for deinstitutionalization
policies, the creation of principles and guidelines to plan deinstitutionalization of
local governments and deinstitutionalization strategies for persons with
disabilities living in other facilities such as homeless facilities and mental care
facilities are not sufficient. In particular, as for persons with mental disabilities,
Article 15 of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities was amended; as
measures for the deinstitutionalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities
should be included in the deinstitutionalization roadmap.
□ Recommendations
ㅇ To achieve complete deinstitutionalization, a deinstitutionalization roadmap that
accepts some of the residential facilities should be enhanced and additional
measures should be devised including the establishment of a monitoring system
for deinstitutionalization policies, the creation of principles and guidelines to plan
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