Baduk and People with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the status of Baduk programs for people with disabilities in Korea by providing its basic data. For the current study, a total of 258 welfare centers in Korea were examined from April to November in 2022. Among them, fourteen welfare centers providing Baduk education for people with disabilities were chosen for the further analysis. For the present study, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were adopted. To be more specific, in-depth interviews and surveys were conducted to investigate how Baduk education programs are provided for the people with disabilities in Korea. There were a total of 71 participants. They were 13 program managers and 58 program participants from welfare centers. The in-depth interviews were conducted with the program managers while the surveys were done with the program participants. For the data analysis, interview results were analyzed via content analysis. Regarding the survey results, frequency analysis was carried out. The results of this study are as follows: First, among 258 welfare centers nationwide in Korea, 21 centers were providing Baduk education programs for people with disabilities in September 2022. Furthermore, four centers among them were providing Arum Baduk program that was designed for people with a developmental disorder. Second, from the survey results, it was found that there is gender ratio imbalance in Baduk education programs for people with disabilities. Most program participants were men (94.8%), and even in some welfare centers, there were only male participants joining the Baduk program. Third, in the interview, program managers pointed out that there is a problem with the lack of publicity. The managers said that Baduk should be able to approach young children familiarly. This study reports and reviews the status of Baduk education for people with disabilities in Korea by providing qualitative and quantitative data. The current study will help improve Baduk Education Programs for People with Disabilities.