The "Partial Amendment Bill of the Disability Welfare Act" aimed at ensuring the substantive rights of people with disabilities passed the National Assembly plenary session on April 2nd. This amendment includes provisions such as establishing legal grounds for a mobile disability registration card with the same effect as a physical disability registration card, mandating the payment of a disability child allowance for children receiving livelihood support or medical aid, legalizing policy items for guaranteeing the rights of disabled tourists, and recognizing the eligibility of remote university graduates to take the language rehabilitation therapist exam, reflecting the demands of the field.

Firstly, to alleviate the inconvenience of physical disability registration cards that were previously only issued in physical form and to adapt to the digital environment, a new legal basis was established to recognize mobile disability registration cards as an official means of registration with the same effect as physical cards. Additionally, new provisions were introduced to penalize the unauthorized use of mobile registration cards or their image files or copies.

Furthermore, it is now stipulated in the law that, in accordance with the "National Basic Livelihood Security Act," children with disabilities receiving livelihood support or medical aid must also be paid a disability child allowance, similar to adult persons with disabilities. This addresses the ongoing issue of equity between children and adults in the criteria for allowance payment.

Cultural, sports, and tourism activities for people with disabilities have also been included as legal policy items. This measure was taken based on a survey by the Korea Disabled People's Development Institute in 2022, which highlighted the lack of 'convenient facilities for mobility' (74.1%) as the biggest inconvenience factor for disabled people during domestic travel, aiming to establish a national policy basis for improving mobility rights, such as barrier-free tourism.

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled against the current law that did not explicitly mention 'remote universities' in relation to eligibility for the 2nd grade language rehabilitation therapist national exam. This decision created uncertainty regarding the qualifications of language rehabilitation therapists already active in the field who graduated from remote universities. Through this amendment, individuals who have completed language rehabilitation-related courses at remote universities, completed practical training courses as determined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and obtained a degree can now take the 2nd grade language rehabilitation therapist exam, thereby standardizing qualifications and reducing confusion in the field.

This amendment aims to reflect the practical needs of people with disabilities across various aspects of life and address institutional blind spots. The National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee consolidated and coordinated four related bills during a special session in January to prepare a committee bill, which was then passed in the plenary session on that day.

Many provisions of the amendment will take effect six months after promulgation, while some regulations will be applied immediately upon promulgation. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is preparing for the necessary sub-legislation and system implementation accordingly. It is expected that the protection of the rights of people with disabilities and the effectiveness of welfare services will be further strengthened through this legal amendment.