Analysis of the awareness and request of adults with disabilities and staff in charge of lifelong education regarding integrated education

This study aims to identify the awareness of problems that emerged in the process of participating in and implementing integrated lifelong education among adults with disabilities and those involved in lifelong education for the disabled, as well as the demands for activating integrated lifelong education, and to derive practical tasks for activating domestic integrated lifelong education based on this. For the study, a survey was conducted targeting 200 adults with disabilities and 120 people involved in lifelong education for the disabled. The results of the study showed that, first, adults with disabilities recognized ‘lack of promotion of integrated education programs for disabled/non-disabled learners’ and ‘lack of personnel to support the disabled in general lifelong education institutions’ as serious problems hindering integrated lifelong education, while those involved in lifelong education for the disabled recognized ‘lack of budget for operating integrated education in general/disabled lifelong education institutions’ and ‘lack of communication, linkage, and cooperation between general/disabled lifelong education institutions’ as serious problems. Second, as a task for activating integrated lifelong education, adults with disabilities requested ‘support for operating budget for integrated lifelong education for lifelong education institutions for the disabled’, ‘support for tuition for disabled learners to participate in integrated lifelong education programs’, etc., and those involved in lifelong education for the disabled requested ‘development and distribution of guidelines or manuals for operating integrated lifelong education programs’, ‘support for operating budget for integrated lifelong education for lifelong education institutions for the disabled’, etc. Based on the research results, practical tasks were presented, including establishing an information provision system, securing and supporting a budget, producing a specific implementation manual and providing educational support, seeking ways to link with general lifelong education institutions, and developing and disseminating programs.