사명
Our Mission

언어, 사회, 문화적 장벽으로 인해 주류 사회에서 소외되기 쉬운 한국계 미국인 장애인과 그 가족에게 소셜 네트워크를 통해 정보를 제공하고 각 연령별 혜택에 대한 소식을 알리며 장애아들이 정부나 기관에서 받을 수 있는 권리와 서비스 확보가 가능하도록 돕는 한편, 주류 사회의 구성원으로 활동할 수 있도록 도와주는 것이 우리의 미션입니다.

We seek out and assist Korean Americans with disabilities and their families who get disconnected, and alienated from the mainstream of society due to language, social and cultural barriers. We provide them with information to secure benefits and services available, advocate for their rights, and help them become included as members of mainstream society. 

한미장애인협회 역사
History of KADPA

한미장애인협회 25년을 뒤돌아 보며 – 김 정환 (by John Kim in the summer of 2017)

우리의 시작은 미약하였으나…

어느덧 세월이 흘러, 이 때 처음 만난 자녀들이 성년이 되고, 그당시 막막하게만 느껴지던 ‘앞날’ 을 25년 이상 살아내고 난 현 시점에서, 한미장애인협회 (KADPA) 로 뭉쳐 우리가 함께 걸어온 발자취를 기록으로 남겨보고자 한다.

우리들의 시작은 작은 친교모임에서 태동되었다. 볼티모어 인근의 벧엘교회에 다니던 성도들 몇 가정이 한 달에 한 번씩 각 집에 돌아가며 저녁을 함께하며 밤 늦도록 신앙을 나누고 삶을 나누었다. 시기는 1990년경이다. 원래부터 있던 모임의 중간에 우리 가정이 초대된 것인지, 아니면 그 모임의 첫 출발부터 우리 부부가 함께 있었는지는 모르겠다. 협소한 우리 집에서도 몇번 저녁과 다과를 준비했던 기억이 있다. 한번 모이면, 저녁부터 새벽녘까지 대략 8 시간을 한 테이블에 둘러 앉아 이야기 꽃을 피우며, 좋은 책을 읽은 감명도 나누고, 신앙인의 삶과 비전을 나누는 유익한 시간을 보냈다. 한 자리에서 그렇게 오랫동안 앉아 끊임없이 대화를 나눌 수 있었다는 것에 놀랐고, 그 오랜 시간 엄청난 양의 음식을 계속 먹으며, 내내 즐거울 수 있었다는 것에도 놀라웠다. 심장 내과의 이광학 선생님 부부, 정신과의 안병환 선생님 부부, 산부인과의 박견 선생님 부부가 늘 만났고,  소아과의 신상균 선생님 부부도 가끔 우리 모임에 오셨다. 모두들 의사들이었는데, 연배도 한참 아래였고 의사도 아닌 우리가 왜 그 모임에 끼게 되었는지는 모르겠다.

그당시, 이광학 선생님은 볼티모어 인근에 발달장애 자녀를 둔 몇 가정을 알고 계셨다. 존칭 생략, 정상용(패티) 박찬규(유미) 강준암 (우규) 차재홍(현) 김홍전(영훈) 최현광(하나) 그리고 안병환(제인) 댁이었다.  어느날 이광학 선생님이 조심스레 제안을 하셨다. 이 가정들을 한 자리에 모일 수 있게 하면 어떻겠는가를. 1991년 가을, 선생님 댁에서 이들을 초청했고, 서로 알지 못하고 지내던 가정들이 장애 자녀라는 공통분모로 한 자리에 모여 처음 인사를 나누고, 위로를 나누고, 아픔을 나누었다.  첫 모임에서부터, 우리 장애 자녀들을 어떻게 하면 잘 키울 수 있을까가 공통의 관심사인 가운데, 만남 자체가 큰 위로였기 때문에, 이렇게 알게 된 장애 가정들이 한 달에 한 번씩 친목으로라도 모이는 것이 좋겠다는 것이 모두의  의견이었다. 그때부터, 한 달에 한 번씩 각 장애 가정에서 돌아가며 모이기 시작했다. 장애 자녀가 없던 이광학 선생님과 우리 가정을 비롯한 몇 가정이 자연스럽게 합류하면서, 우리의 친교 모임도 흡수되었다. 대부분의 한국인들이 주기적으로 모이면 그러하듯, 우리도 회비를 걷기로 했다. 무엇에 쓸지 당장은 모르지만, 우리 장애 자녀들을 위해 쓰일 것이라는 막연한 기대감을 갖고 있었다. 인근에서 장애 가정들이 점차 모이기 시작했다. 새 식구가 들어 올 땐 항상, 모두 돌아가며 장애 자녀를 소개하면서 함께 울었다.

이렇게 시작한 매월 모임은 1992년부터 봄 피크닉, 여름 캠프 에버그린, 겨울 크리스마티 파티 등의 특별한 모임도 갖게 되어 지금까지 이어지고 있다. 캠프 에버그린의 장소는 당시 스페셜 올림픽에 참가하던 Jane(안혜진)이 그 모임에서 다녀왔던 Hashawha Retreat Center 를 안병환 선생님이 추천해 주셔서 결정한 후, 현재까지 같은 장소에서 계속되고 있다. 첫 캠프엔 차현, 김균태, 강우규, 김영훈, 안제인, 임에린, 최하나, 김지나 등 총 8명이 캠퍼로 참석했고 벧엘교회 교인들이 자원봉사로 도와 주었다.

그즈음, 성악을 전공하는 솔로이스트들이 모인 합창단으로, 성악가 백태범 씨가 이끄는 워싱턴 솔로이스트 앙상블이 이름조차 없었던 우리 모임을 위해 음악회를 열어 준다고 했다. 우리 가족들이 광고 스폰서를 구하고, 개인과 단체들로부터 후원금을 받고, 입장 티겟을 판 모든 수익을 우리 모임이 갖기로 했다. 그러러면 모임의 이름이 필요했고, 비영리 단체로 등록도 해야 했다. 나와 이광학 선생님, 안병환 선생님이 변호사 (Frederic W. Barnes–ARC Maryland 의 전 회장) 를 수차례 만났다. 그리고 단체의 정신에 맞는 정관 (Article of Incorporation) 과 내규 (Bylaws) 를, 여러 사람의 견해를 취합하여 만들었다. 그때 만든 이름이 한미장애인협회 (Korean American Disabled People’s Association).

단체의 Vision이며 Mission으로 첫째는, 장애 자녀의 행복과 복지 추구이다. 행복의 추구를 위해 ‘가족이 함께’ 노력해 나간다는 것이 부모들이 모여서 세운 우리 협회의 가장 특별한 모습이다. 둘째는 종교로부터의  분리다. 시작은, 약한 자를 사랑하신 예수님을 닮고자 하는 마음에서였으나, 많은 고민과 논의 끝에 내린 결론은 종교에 관계 없이 문을 열어, 뜻을 같이 하는 사람들을 회원으로 받아들이자는 것이다. 셋째는 비장애인 가족의 참여다. 장애인 가족과  비장애인 가족이 함께 단체를 이끌어가는 것이 가장 바람직하다는 결론이었다. 비장애인 가족 이사들(Directors)의 수를 전체 이사들 수의 최대 50%까지 하기로 했다. 장애라는 어려운 문제가 이미 겪고 있는 사람들 에게만 국한된 것이 아니며, 누구에게나  있을 수 있는 문제임을 인지하고, 이웃의 일은 곧 우리 모두의 일이며, 장애를 가진 사람들이 살아 가기에 조금이라도 덜 힘든 지역사회를 함께 이루어간다는 취지다. 넷째, 자선단체와의 차별화다. 즉 이 모임은 장애 가족의 모임이기 때문에 우리가, 우리 아이들과 가족들의 행복을 위해 ‘스스로’ 노력하는 단체로, 상부상조회의 성격이다. 우리보다 조금 늦게 밀알이란 단체가 워싱턴에서 시작되었다. 밀알은 복음 전파를 목적으로 하는 기독교 단체고, 장애인을 섬기기 위한 자선단체다. 우리 회원들이 아무 노력을 하지 않아도, 아무 대가를 치르지 않아도, 밀알로부터는 섬김을 받을 수 있다. 그러나 우리 모임은, 장애 가족 스스로 모인 단체이므로, 특별한 사유 없이 한 회원이 다른 회원으로부터 섬김을 기대하지 않는다. 우리는, 장애 자녀로 인해 슬픔과 낙망으로 숨어 사는 대신, 스스로 희망과 행복을 추구해가며 주위에 더 어려운 처지에 있는 이웃들을 위로하고 도울 수 있는 가족들로 성숙해 가고자 하는 비전으로 시작된 것이다. 이렇게 논의되고 결론지은 것들을 모임에서 추인해 주었다. 비영리단체 등록을 위해 꼭 필요한 세 명의 Founding Directors 를, 나와 이광학 선생님과 안병환 선생님이 맡아서, 1993 년 11월 1일 Maryland 주에 한미장애인협회 (KADPA) 라는 이름으로 등록하게 되었다. 그후 내규와 절차에 따라, 창립 총회를 열고 20여 명의 이사들을 선임한 것이 KADPA 의 첫 공식 발걸음이다.

KADPA 는 매년 봄 피크닉, 여름 수양회 (Camp Evergreen), 겨울 크리스마스 파티를, 장애우들만 모이는 여타 행사와 달리 KADPA  가족 모두가 참여하며 즐기는 정기 행사로 주관해 왔다. 그리고 정기 행사들 사이에 우리 장애 자녀들을 위한 토요학교를 비롯한 여러 행사들도 주관해오고 있다. 벧엘교회 등 주위 교회와 단체에서 물질로 봉사로 우리의 행사들을 섬겨주었다. 워싱턴 솔로이스트 앙상블은 1994 년 첫 연주회를 시작으로 세 번이나 자선 연주회를 해 주었고, KADPA 스스로도 여러 가지 모금 행사를 하며, 지금은 어떻게 쓰일지 확실하지 않으나 언젠가는 우리 장애 자녀들을 위한 그룹홈 건립의 종잣돈이 되리라는 막연한 희망으로 Fund 를 착실하게 모아갔다. 그리고 회원들은, 협회에 들어와 지내온 시간의 비례대로 협회에 대한 큰 자부심을 갖게 되었다. 많은 가족들이 이 만남에서 위로받는 것을 보며, 다른 주에도 이같은 모임이 생겨나기를 바랐다. 멀리 필라델피아에서 오는 에린네 가정이 마침, 필라를 중심으로 KADPA 를 만들기로 작정해주어서, 적은 Seed Money 로 시작했다. 그때가 2001년인데, 모든 행사가 볼티모어 중심으로 열리고 있어서 거리가 먼 버지니아 거주 회원 가족들이 참여에 불편을 겪고 있었다. KADPA 가 전 미국에 퍼져가기를 꿈꾸며, 펜실베이니아 주에서와 같이, 버지니아 주에도 KADPA 가 세워지기를 소원하던 중 2001 년 4 월 버지니아 주에 거주하는 열네 장애 가정이 모여, 메릴랜드 회원들의 축복 가운데, 버지니아 비엔나에 있는 와싱톤중앙장로교회에서 성대히 창립 총회를 갖고, 이경희 초대 회장이 취임했고, 명칭을 Virginia KADPA 로 하고 정관과 내규를 만들어 버지니아 주에 등록했다. 그후, KADPA 라는 이름은 아니지만 캘리포니아를 포함한 여러 주에서 장애인 가족 모임이 생겨난 것은 참으로 다행스럽고 우리의 꿈이 방법과 모양은 다르지만 이루어진 것같아 기쁘다. 우리의 지나온 날들의 발자취는, 앞으로 나아갈 방향의 나침반이며, 때로 갈등이 생기거나 낙심될 때 돌아보며, 우리가 다시 화합하고 회복하며 소망을 가질수 있는 소중한 자산이 되어줄 것을 믿는다.

Looking back upon 25 years of KADPA (written by John Jongwhan Kim in summer of 2017)

Our beginning was humble…

Having lived over 25 years of the “future” deemed uncertain at the time when I first met those young children who by now became adults, I want to retrace the time past for the record as we have been getting together in Korean American Disabled People’s Association (KADPA).

Our meeting started as a small social gathering. A few members of Bethel Church in vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland were meeting at their home in turn for dinner. It was around 1990. We were staying up to 8 hours usually discussing books we read, shared our thoughts about life. vision, belief in faith. I am not sure wether our couple were attending from the beginning or joined later the meetings, but I remember we have met at our narrow home also quite a few times. Dr. Lee KwangHack, cardiologist, couple, Dr. Ahn ByungHwan, psychiatrist, couple, Dr. Park Kyun, Ob-Gyn, couple, and Dr. Shin SangKyun, pediatrician, couple, were coming to the meeting and they were all much older than our couple.

At that time Dr. Lee KwangHack knew of several Korean families around Baltimore who had disabled children; Chung SangYong (Patty), Park Chan Kyu (Yumi), Kang JoonAm (WooKyu), Cha JaeHeung (Hyun), Choi HyunKwang (Hana), Kim HongJun (YoungHoon), Ahn ByungHwan (Jane). One day Dr. Lee cautiously proposed that all these families meet together at same place at one evening in the fall of 1991 Dr. Lee invited these families to his home. These families did not know each other till then. At the first meeting of these families, common concerns of difficulty of braising children with disability were discussed, pain and sorrow shared, encouragement to each other by way of merely getting together. It was decided to meet monthly at each family’s home in turn. Dr. Lee couple, and our couple who do not have disabled children joined the family meeting from the first and our earlier social gathering was conjoined these new family group meetings. As in most Korean people’s meetings we were collecting membership fees for future use.

We have been carrying these meetings over 25 years. We have had first Spring Family Picnic at Patapsco State Park in May 1992, Weekend Evergreen Camp at Hashawha in August 1992, and winter Christmas Parties. Location of Camp Evergreen was recommended by Mrs. Ahn ByungHwan (Jane Ahn’s mom) who had attended a Maryland Special Olympic Family Weekend Camp with Jane Ahn previous year (August, 1991) at the same Hashawha Retreat Center. At the first Evergreen Camp in August, 1992, 8 children, 4 girls (Erin Rim, Jina Kim, Hanah Choi, Jane Ahn), and 4 boys (Hyun Cha, KyunTae Kim, YoungHoon Kim, WooKyu Kang), attended with Bethel Church members as volunteers.

About that time Washington Soloists Ensemble led by vocalist Baek TaeBum proposed benefit concert for our family group, and in order to receive benefit donation there was a need of a non-profit organization. With help of Fred W. Barnes, a non-profit organization lawyer (past president of Maryland ARC, and National ARC} we were able to incorporate non-profit organization with Article of Incorporation and Bylaw representing goal and spirit of our group and it was registered at Maryland State Department on 11/1/1993 with 3 Founding Directors (Dr. Kwang Lee, Dr. Byung Ahn, Jung W. Kim), requirement for non-profit organization. At the inaugural general membership meeting according to Bylaw, 20 Board of Directors were elected as first step of Korean American Disabled People’s Association (KADPA).

The vision and mission of KADPA are first, Pursuit of happiness and welfare of children with disabilities, and it is pursued by families of the disabled children. Second, separation from religion. Although we are in the beginning to follow the way of Jesus Christ who loves the weak and sick, after serious discussions after discussions it was decided that we should open to all for the membership regardless of religious inclinations. Third, Participation of families who do not have disabled children. It was considered that families with disabled children and families without disabled children together promote the best for our cause. Up to 50% of the Directors to be families without disabled children. To realize disability can be issue to anyone besides currently suffering disability difficulty of any neighbor is our issues and we need to build a community to alleviate barriers against the disabled. Fourth, Differentiation from charity organization. A missionary organization, Mil-Al (Wheat Mission), was formed in Washington, D.C. a little later than inception of KADPA. It was a Christian mission agency with goal of preaching gospel and serving disabled children. Without any effort or contribution the disabled children can be served by Mil-Al mission, but since we are self and voluntarily organized group our families would not expect such services from others without specific causes. We ourselves aspire to pursuing happiness and hope instead of hiding helplessly under sorrow and despair. We started in vision of mature living by way of encouraging and comforting our hapless neighbors who have more difficulties than ourselves.

KADPA has hosted the annual Spring Family Picnic, Summer Weekend Evergreen Camp, Winter Christmas Party. These gatherings are all of family participation. Many Korean community agencies including several churches have been supporting KADPA events with financial donation and volunteer services. Washington Soloists Ensemble has performed three benefit concerts since the first one in 1994 and KADPA itself has held many fund raising activities over the years. In proportion to the duration of involvement in KADPA these families became more and more proud of the existence of KADPA. Observing the growing number of families encouraged through these family group processes, we envisioned emergence of similar family oriented self-support groups for the disabled in other states. In Philadelphia, some plan of Pennsylvania KADPA was formulating in year 2001. And in Virginia, some 14 families of disabled children who had been experiencing difficulty participating in KADPA activities/events due to geographic distance formed their own non-profit organization in April 2001 with Lee Kyung Hee as President and registered in the state of Virginia, thus beginning VA KADPA. Lately in some other states including California, disability family groups are emerging. Although name of KADPA not proclaimed it is pleasing that our dreams seem to manifest in different formats and styles elsewhere. I believe that reminiscing foot steps of our past can be a compass in the proper direction for the future and can help us encompass harmony and recovery whenever we are getting into conflicts or discouragement. And it can be a great asset leading to new hope.