[Opinion] Living with “Superman”

“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use that power wisely.” That’s what Christopher Reeve, the man who played the Man of Steel in the movie “Superman,” used to say in his interviews. He made a slight adjustment to his definition of a hero after he was paralyzed from waist-down after a horse riding accident back in 1995. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." This was the one who “boasted” of not being paralyzed after filming a flick about a paralysis victim. Reeve proves to be a real-life Superman to have chosen to continue to find things to do instead of being confined to a wheelchair. He formed a foundation for the disabled, and he still keeps a busy and lively schedule laden with series of conferences on medical insurance for disabled people to attend to give testimonials. He testifies that his “Dreams” were never disabled.

Just a few days ago, a mini-Superman came to life in Yale Elementary School in Seoul. A thirteen-year-old, hearing-impaired student, Cho Tae-min, who has difficulties in both hearing and speaking, was elected as the student representative of the school. Although he still stammers a bit even after excruciating effort to overcome it, no one holds his inarticulate speech in contempt. His election pledges were sincere. It was to “put others before self-interest.” Grown-ups were moved even more by the genuineness of the school children who elected Tae-min as their representative. Those children were the true citizens of democracy who knew the ways to live with a Superman: they had unbiased visions that saw through the disability to see Tae-min’s real personality.

Proportional representative Jang Hyang-sook of the Uri Party was never been able to take a stroll outside for over 20 years because of her disability. She never received public education. Welfare codes for disabled persons rendered no service though it specifically stated that the disabled has the conventional rights to have their dignity and value respected, and that the nation and local authorities have the responsibilities to improve the welfare of the disabled. The National Assembly says that they are undertaking the construction to make facilities and seats for disabled people, but the Assembly building is not the only place with the need for such renovation.

The government said that it will introduce a legislation to have proper renovation to accommodate the mobility of the disabled to public transportation in time to celebrate the day of disability on April 20. The renovation will be done on facilities including airports and subways as well as to the vehicles themselves starting from the second half of this year. Another important factor that needs our attention is the demeanor of non-disabled living shoulder to shoulder with the people with disability. The prejudice against disable people is the real disability of the mind, and we need to realize that the real shame in living in a society where the disabled are left neglected.

Editorial Staff, Kim, Soon-duhk yuri@donga.com