Abstract
Eater Seal, the child care experts, observes that children with disability significantly benefit from receiving appropriated care along side their peers. Typically developing children serve as role models from which children with disabilities learn age-appropriated communications and social behavior. Therefore the children with disability can actively participate in well-designed child care settings. But unfortunately in Seoul, Korea, only 2% of children with disability are taken care of in child care centers. And even the disabled children at the child care centers are mostly mentally or emotionally disabled because the building, programs and services of the centers are restrictive to the children with severe physical disabilities. This study reviewed Korean domestic physical environment of child care centers for children with disabilities. Questionnaire survey was conducted to 103 centers located in Seoul by mail. Our survey revealed that they need more areas for nursing room and special rooms and the accessibility to buildings has to be improved. Also, there are no elevators in all buildings surveyed. Accessibility to toilet is noted as significant problem, especially wet floors in toilets. In a nursing room, a space for psychological rest and special education is needed for children with mental disability. Technical specifications on how to make buildings and facilities accessible for the children with disability should be developed. The goal of this study is to provide basic information to develop domestic design guidelines to ensure that the child care centers are safe, convenient, and usable for everyone possible.