[SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA – November 3, 2023] Brian Impact Foundation has announced a donation of 87 million KRW to the “Esu Management” project, which serves as a subsidiary disability-inclusive workplace at Ewha Womans University. This initiative is dedicated to addressing employment challenges faced by severely disabled individuals.
On November 1, Kim Jung-ho, Chairman of Brian Impact Foundation, visited Ewha Womans University to observe the work activities of disabled employees at the Esu Management worksites on the university premises. Subsequently, they proceeded to Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to observe the tasks performed by the medical team employees.
Ewha Womans University operates Esu Management, with Esu Management being the largest among standardized workplaces for people with disabilities introduced by Korean university. In January 2022, the Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees passed a resolution to establish this subsidiary, with the goal of providing systematic job training and stable employment opportunities for severely disabled individuals facing social disconnection.
Kim Beom-su, the founder of Brian Impact Foundation, has demonstrated unwavering commitment to creating job opportunities for individuals with severe disabilities while establishing the foundation. His financial support extends across various projects, including “Brave Beaver.” The recent donation of 87 million KRW to Ewha Womans University is part of Kim Beom-su’s ongoing 10 billion KRW initiative aimed at addressing employment issues for individuals with severe disabilities. In response to this contribution, Ewha Womans University initiated employee and manager recruitment in January, operating within three major business areas: the Ewha Confectionery Team, Ewha Mart Team overseeing on-campus convenience stores, and the Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC) Team. Collectively, these initiatives provide employment opportunities for 65 individuals with severe disablilities.
Individuals with disabilities, especially women with severe disabilities, often face heightened vulnerability within society. According to the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities, women’s economic activity participation rate (23.4%) and employment rate (22.2%) are only about half of those for men with disabilities (economic activity participation rate 45.2%, employment rate 43.3%). The situation is even more challenging for women with severe disabilities, with an economic activity participation rate of 17.6% and an employment rate of 16.8%, representing the most disadvantaged circumstance.¹
Ewha Womans University has created a secure environment within its premises, offering women with severe disabilities a reassuring workplace. Through various business divisions such as the Ewha Confectionery Team, Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC) Team, and Ewha Mart Team, the university provides stable employment opportunities for individuals with severe disabilities, allowing them to diligently carry out their responsibilities based on their unique strengths and capabilities.
The Ewha Confectionery Team produces a variety of items, including madeleines, green tea chocolate chip cookies, almond cookies, pound cakes, and more. These products are available for purchase through the Ewha Mart on campus, the Ewha Mart souvenir shop, the Ewha Mart Cafe, and an online store. Their assortment of baked goods, already renowned through word-of-mouth, is highly sought after for events and gifting.
The disabled employees of the Medical Team are responsible for tasks at Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC), located in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Their duties include disinfecting wheelchairs, ensuring their proper placement, transporting patients’ specimens to the laboratory, and assisting the administrative team with various office tasks.
With support from the Brian Impact Foundation, new employees were recruited for the Ewha Mart Team, and they now work across 15 Ewha Mart convenience stores situated within Ewha Womans University’s campus. Following the donation from the Brian Impact Foundation in June, the Esu Management project initiated the construction of the Ewha Mart stores in July. Employees with disabilities, who commenced their job training in August, have been actively working at Ewha Mart since September. The donation from Brian Impact Foundation serves various purposes, including covering construction costs, introducing groupware and production management systems, establishing workspaces and break areas for disabled employees, and supporting club activities designed for disabled employees.
Ewha Womans University leverages its university setting to cultivate collaborations with fields related to disabilities, including special education, special sports science, the Social Sports Education Center, the Department of Integrated Art Therapy in the College of Arts, and the Department of Music Therapy. These collaborations enable the university to offer a variety of club activities for disabled employees. Special sports activities promote teamwork among employees, while music therapy, integrated art therapy, and special education aid in developing essential social skills for everyday life. A parent of a disabled employee expressed, “The safe workplace at Ewha Womans University, supported through the program, has enabled our daughter to go to work every day and become a respectable member of society. She particularly enjoys the sports club activities after working hours.” The parent added, “Having care provided for our daughter while she’s at work has been immensely helpful for our family.”
Building on the support from the Brian Impact Foundation, Ewha Womans University intends to further expand employment opportunities for disabled individuals within the campus and Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC).
“Ewha Womans University has been committed to diverse, customized job development and training initiatives aimed at empowering severely disabled individuals to become active members of society,” remarked Chang Myong-Sue, the Chairperson of Ewha Womans University. He added, “Building upon the support from the Brian Impact Foundation, we will strive to establish a more systematic working system and create a stable work environment, allowing more severely disabled individuals to experience a sense of belonging and self-efficacy, and fully engage in their professional lives.”
“Societal and economic discrimination against women with severe disabilities is an important issue that our society must continuously research and resolve,” expressed Kim Jung-ho, the Chairman of Brian Impact Foundation. “We hope for a future where individuals with disabilities, just like those without, can naturally find employment suited to their abilities, fostering independence. We also hope that the ongoing collaboration between Brian Impact and Ewha Womans University continues to lay the foundation for creating more job opportunities for severely disabled individuals.”
