Art performance on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pyongyang, December 3, 2019. (Photo KCNA)

YEARENDERBy KCNAVigorous activities have been conducted in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea this year to implement the stage plans for developing the protection of the disabled.The Central Committee of the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled organized workshops on such themes as working out a report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and made public relevant programs on the work to protect the disabled.Provincial, city and county non-permanent committees for the protection of the disabled drew up detailed plans and conducted brisk activities for their implementation.Construction laws and regulations were adopted to systemize the work for creating an environment of zero-disability in buildings.The year witnessed rehabilitation service, traveling service for the repair of prosthetic apparatuses and supply of auxiliary tools for the persons with disabilities.Successes were also made in the educational work for the disabled, including the improvement of education of early sign language.The number of working units increased and the working conditions and environment were further improved for the disabled who got the vocational education to take part in the working life according to their wishes and talents.There were domestic games like sports contest of disabled persons and amateurs and shooting and archery contest of disabled persons and amateurs. And persons with disabilities in the DPRK proved successful at the ITTF Asian Para Championships 2019 and the Para Table Tennis Bangkok Open 2019.An art troupe of disabled persons gave a performance before full houses in China to show the validity and vitality of the DPRK's policy of protecting the disabled.The federation is now stepping up at the last stage the preparations to televise the subtitles for the deaf.This year, the Deaf Association of Korea acceded to the World Federation of Deaf, the Sign Language Interpreters Association of Korea to the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters and the Korea Disability Rehabilitation Association to the Rehabilitation International (RI) and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.Meanwhile, a progress was made in cooperation with international bodies, national associations and overseas Koreans organizations related to the protection of the disabled and the missions of the UNICEF and the European Union Programme Support here offered aid materials for the functional rehabilitation of disabled children.(KCNA - December 18, 2019)