Barrier-free forest trails that people with disabilities cannot use

A drainage cover on the approach to the barrier-free forest path in Gwanaksan Mountain, Seoul, which is difficult for wheelchair users to pass.

In a discussion held by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Citizens' Committee for Green Seoul on May 28, it was pointed out that barrier-free forest trails, which were created to allow the disabled to visit forests, are not functioning as a place for the disabled. It was also criticized that local governments are rushing to build barrier-free forest trails without sufficient consideration of accessibility for people with disabilities.

Barrier-free forest trails are paths with gentle slopes that allow people with disabilities, the elderly, and others to enjoy the mountains without too much difficulty. Wood decks are used to cover the forest trails. In Seoul alone, 39 places have been built since 2011.

Lee Yoon-joo, a campaigner at the Institute of the Korea SHE Foundation, said the problem is that there is a lack of infrastructure to allow people with disabilities to access the barrier-free forest trails. No matter how well barrier-free forest trails are built, it is difficult for people with disabilities to access them. Even the Ansan Jarak-gil in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, has stairs or curbs on most of its access roads.

“There are many cases where forest trails are built without considering accessibility, so the forests are damaged and become forest trails for people without disabilities,” Lee said.

Jeon Yoon-sun, a wheelchair user and representative of the Korean Network for Accessible Tourism, shared some of the challenges that people with disabilities face when traveling on barrier-free forest trails. "I once broke the wheel of my electric wheelchair while passing through a widely spaced drainage cover, so I had to call someone to repair it urgently,” she said. “Sometimes it is difficult for a manual wheelchair to pass through the stony paths as well as the palm mats that are commonly laid on the trails.”

As a result of checking the distribution of slopes and landslides risk ratings of 11 barrier-free forest roads in Seoul, it was also revealed that some sections are at a very high or high risk of landslides. In a situation where climate disasters are increasing, problems have also emerged in terms of citizens’ safety.

It was also pointed out that the recently built barrier-free forest trail in Bongsan, Eunpyeong-gu, was constructed while infringing on the ecological landscape conservation area. Many other barrier-free forest trails have also been embroiled in controversy over unnecessary forest damage due to the installation of decks on slopes.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.