Fukui Prefecture adopts ‘Help Mark’ to aid disabled people

Written with extracts from The Sankei Shimbun

September 26th 2018

The “Help mark” which makes it easy for people in the early pregnancy to receive assistance from others, as well as enabling those with internal conditions and invisible disabilities to receive assistance, was introduced in Fukui Prefecture on the 25th, as well offices started distributing them tones applicants for disability benefits.

The help mark is a design with a white cross and heart arranged on a red background, Tokyo introduced in 2012. It has already being used in 34 prefectures.

Those who are to be given cards are those who need assistance or consideration such as prosthetic limbs, users of artificial joints, internally handicapped persons, people with intractable diseases, people at the beginning of pregnancy. The presence or absence of a handicapped person is not a requirement. The cards are put in places that are easy to be seen by surrounding people. On the back side, in order to deal with emergency, is the cardholders name, date of birth, blood type, address, contact address, medical institution, and a statement requesting assistance.

The prefectural person in charge of disability welfare section said, “It is the most important to inform the prefecture that it takes time to penetrate, so I will continue to the steady path,” and posters are posted with cooperation from public transportation etc., Notify on the homepage etc. For the time being, distribute about 1,000 cards.