Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to conduct survey of people with disabilities on waiting list for facilities in October

From NHK

September 19 2024

TOKYO – In order to clarify the actual situation of people with disabilities who are waiting in facilities for people with disabilities, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to conduct a survey of the situation of people on waiting list in prefectures and other areas as early as next month.

According to a questionnaire survey conducted by NHK in collaboration with experts this year in all prefectures and municipalities across the country, there are at least 22,000 people with disabilities who wish to use large-scale “residential facilities” or “group homes” where small numbers of people live, but are on waiting list.

In light of this, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to conduct a survey of the situation of people on waiting list for “residential facilities” in all prefectures, designated cities, and core cities as early as next month in order to grasp the actual situation of people on waiting list.

The survey will ask whether or not they are aware of the presence of people on waiting lists, as well as how local governments define those on waiting lists and their methods for identifying those on waiting lists, as there is a variation among those on waiting lists, with some wanting to enter immediately and others hoping to use the facility in the future.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare hopes to use the survey to clarify the state of awareness of local governments and then move forward with consideration of housing for people with disabilities.