Young Woo Kang (6 January 1944 – 24 February 2012) was a

disability rights The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocat ...

advocate,

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, and speaker. He was known for his work in developing a braille alphabet for the Korean language. He was the Vice Chair of the World Committee on Disability. Kang was a former policy advisor of the

National Council on Disability The National Council on Disability (NCD) is an advisory agency on disability policy in the United States for all levels of government and for private sector entities NCD is an independent agency of the United States government headquartered in ...

to the United States White House, serving under former president

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. In 2001, Kang received the Asian American Society's Outstanding Contribution and Achievement Award. Kang was the former dean of South Korea's Taegu University, Supervisor of Special Education in Indiana, and was an adjunct professor at

Northeastern Illinois University Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park wi ...

in Chicago. In 1995, Kang's autobiography was made into a television and motion picture movie entitled, ''Bicheun nae gaseume'' (English: ''Light in My Heart''). The film dramatized Kang's life as the first

visually impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

Korean man to earn a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

In addition to film, the autobiography has been translated into seven languages and is a

U.S. Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library i ...

talking book. The film was honored with the Korean equivalent of the Emmy Award for the best drama in television.

Personal background

Young Woo Kang was born in a small village near Seoul in South Korea. Kang's father died when he was 13 years old. The following year, Kang lost his eyesight in a sporting accident. At the time, there was widespread discrimination against disabled individuals. It was a common belief in traditional Korean culture that seeing a blind person would bring bad luck. Blind individuals were literally spit upon and treated as outcasts. When Kang's mother learned that her son would be permanently blind, she died of a heart attack that same day, while walking home from the hospital. At that time, Kang's 17-year-old sister dropped out of high school and took a sewing job to support her younger brother. The pressure was too great for her, and she died 16 months later. In the span of four years, Kang lost his eyesight, his parents, and his sister. Kang was married to Kyoung, also known as Kay. Together, they had two sons, Paul and Christopher. Kyoung was a teacher for almost 30 years, working with visually impaired students in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

public schools. Kang's older son, Paul, is an ophthalmologist in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, while his younger son, Christopher, serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

for

White House Counsel The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Of ...

. Christopher Kang formerly served as Senate Floor Counsel to Assistant U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Richard Durbin, overseeing constitutional, criminal justice, and labor issues. Kang was a devout Christian.

Educational background

Kang was the first blind person to be admitted to

Yonsei University Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the " SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in th ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

, from which, he graduated with honors. He then went on to the University of Pittsburgh School of Education in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. In 1976, he became the first blind Korean to earn both a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

and a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

. A Rotary Foundation Scholar while at the University of Pittsburgh, he earned his master's degree in special education and

rehabilitation counseling Rehabilitation counseling is focused on helping people who have disabilities achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals through a counseling process. Rehabilitation Counselors can be found in private practice, in rehabilitation ...

and his doctorate in education.

Professional background

Kang was the current Vice Chairman of the World Committee on Disability, working in this capacity, he was a driving force behind the establishment of the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Award. Established in 1995, this award recognizes and encourages progress by nations in expanding the participation of people with disabilities, in fulfillment of the goals of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. In 2002, President

nominated Kang to serve as a policy adviser on the

, an independent federal agency that makes recommendations to the President and Congress in pursuit of enhancing the quality of life for Americans with disabilities and their families. After confirmation by the Senate, Kang worked on issues ranging from the inclusion of people with disabilities in emergency planning to cultural differences and attitudes in empowering people with disabilities. He also supported the research and development of six kinds of electronic devices for the disabled, including

mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...

s and

automatic teller machine An automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine (in British English) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, fun ...

Death

Kang died February 24, 2012, from pancreatic cancer. He was 68.

Honors and awards

* Honorary Doctorate in Literature from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea * Rotary Foundation's Distinguished Service Award * Human Rights Award from Fairfax County (Virginia) Human Rights Commission

Published works

* Kang, Young Woo. ''My Disability--God's Ability: 7 Principles of Triumphant Life'', Abingdon Press, 2004. * Kang, Young Woo. ''The Wisdom Driven Life Korean: Seven Keys to a Successful Life'', Abingdon Press, 2007. * Kang, Young Woo. ''A Light in My Heart: Faith and Hope and the Handicapped'', Word of Life Press, 2003.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Young Woo Writers from Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh alumni Northeastern Illinois University faculty South Korean emigrants to the United States American politicians of Korean descent 1944 births 2012 deaths Deaths from pancreatic cancer American disability rights activists Blind politicians Yonsei University alumni George W. Bush administration personnel People from Seoul American blind people Blind academics