Remembering Dr. Young Woo Kang
'Beacon of hope' for the blind dies
|
Kang Young-woo |
By Park Si-soo
Kang Young-woo, the first visually-handicapped Korean appointed as a
policy advisor for former U.S. President George W. Bush and touted as a
“beacon of hope” for many blind people in Korea, died of cancer in the
United States on Thursday (local time.) He was
68.
His family members said Kang had suffered from pancreatic cancer since October last year.
He was born in Yangpyeong, a small village near Seoul, in 1944. He lost
his eyesight in a sporting accident when he turned 14. Despite
wide-spread discrimination against disabled people, he studied under his
family’s support and graduated from Seoul’s prestigious
Yonsei University.
He earned a doctor’s degree in pedagogy from University of Pittsburgh
School of Education in Pennsylvania, becoming the first
visually-handicapped Korean with a doctor’s degree.
In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated Kang to serve as a
policy adviser on the National Council on Disability, an independent
federal agency that makes recommendations to the President and Congress
in pursuit of enhancing the quality of life for
Americans with disabilities and their families.
In the position, Kang worked on issues ranging from the inclusion of
people with disabilities in emergency planning to cultural differences
and attitudes in empowering people with disabilities. He also supported
the research and development of six kinds of
electronic devices for the disabled, including mobile phones and
automatic teller machines
In 1995, Kang’s autobiography was made into a television and motion
picture movie, which dramatized his life as the first visually impaired
Korean man to earn a Ph.D.
Kang is survived by his wife and two sons. His funeral will be held in at a church near Washington D.C. on March 4.
Message from the Governor
The Forum was established at the late Dick Thornburgh’s Law School alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. In connection with the Dick Thornburgh Papers held by the University's Hillman Library, the Forum reflects his experiences in public life. It is in intended to foster discourse on issues vital to the preservation of our democratic system and the Rule of Law upon which that system depends.
Special thanks are due to Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg who serves as the Director of the Dick Thornburgh Forum and has been unstinting in support of this effort since its inception. In addition, many others have provided time, resources and dedication to this undertaking.
