From the New York Times:

Dr. Lee Sang-mook is a professor at Seol National University in South Korea, and a recent day found him delivering a lecture on marine geophysics. He is also paralyzed from the neck down, the result of an auto accident two years ago.

Dr. Lee’s decision to go on teaching from a wheelchair after his accident has made him a role model in South Korea, where people with disabilities still face prejudices and are expected to withdraw from active life.

In the South Korean news media he is frequently compared to another quadriplegic scientist, the British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Dr. Lee modestly discourages such talk, saying the similarities are superficial.

Despite rapid economic and cultural development, South Korea still lacks social awareness of its disabled citizens and the facilities to aid them. Families with disabled members often keep them at home, sometimes hidden away, ashamed of their existence and afraid of discrimination. In fact, Dr. Lee’s decision to continue teaching at the nation’s most prestigious university has put him at odds with his wife and parents, who would prefer that he concentrate on restoring some motion to his limbs.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at 4:31 am and is filed under international, public attitudes, rehabilitation, stigma, wheelchair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post