Lacking helpers, wheelchair users and support workers hand out fliers at a JR West railway station

By Barrier Free Japan

October 17th 2018

There is a shortage of support workers or ‘helpers’ for disabled people in Japan. This video was taken at JR Sumiyoshi Station in Kobe. It shows disabled people and their supports workers handing out leaflets inviting people to become supper workers, people who assist disabled people.

A shortage of ‘helpers’ for disabled people in Japan is regrettably, nothing new. As The Chunichi Shimbun reported in August 2018:

“There are cases where welfare offices in Ishikawa prefecture cannot respond to the needs of users of helpers due to lack of guide helpers that support the mentally handicapped persons going out.”

Yukari Katsuta, who works with support staff at NPO’s for the disabled in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture said:

“There are few helpers for the users, we ask them to reduce the number of days of use, change the time they want because we not cannot give it.”