Korea Institute on Disability Expands Heatwave Action Tips, Diversifies 119 Reporting Methods

The Korea Institute on Disability (KID) has expanded its heatwave preparedness action tips, tailored to specific disability characteristics, from three to five. The institute also released a card-style guide that includes options for reporting emergencies to 119 without making a voice call, such as via text message, app, or video call.

The KID published the '2026 Issue 1: Disaster Safety Guide for Persons with Disabilities Card News' on the 10th, detailing heatwave prevention and response methods that reflect the diverse characteristics of individuals with disabilities. The card news specifically separates and elaborates on heatwave response measures.

The action tips are categorized into five types based on disability characteristics: individuals with mobility impairments, those who have difficulty accessing visual information, those who have difficulty with verbal communication, those who have difficulty understanding emotions and meaning, and individuals with health challenges. Those with communication difficulties can learn how to report to 119 and request assistance through non-contact, non-verbal methods, including text messages, video calls, the smartphone '119 Reporting' app, or by video calling the 'Sonmalieum Center' (a service for deaf individuals using sign language) at 107 without an area code.

The card news provides specific guidelines for each disability type, such as protecting hearing aids and cochlear implants from sweat, visual aids users utilizing smartphone screen reader functions, providing water and rest for individuals accompanied by service dogs, mobility-impaired individuals changing positions to prevent bedsores, and users of ventilators preparing external batteries for power outages. Individuals who have difficulty understanding emotions and meaning are advised to evacuate to familiar and cool places rather than unfamiliar ones. Those with mobility impairments should periodically change positions to prevent bedsores. Ventilator users should prepare charged external batteries to guard against power failures.

This card news is based on the 'Disaster Safety Guide for Persons with Disabilities and Supporters' independently produced by the KID. The disaster safety information has been rephrased into easy-to-understand language and reviewed by individuals with disabilities and field experts. Since 2021, the KID has revised and published disaster safety guides for different disability types annually in booklet and video formats, and a guide for supporters was released in 2025. The full content of the card news can be found on the KID's website and social media channels.