Japan Disability Forum Calls for Better Polling Station Access

From The Fukushi Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan

February 6 2026

TOKYO – Ahead of the House of Representatives election to be held and counted on the 8th, the Japan Disability Forum, comprising 59 disability organizations and related groups, submitted a written request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on January 20 concerning voting by people with disabilities. Pointing out that there are still disparities in how municipal election management committees respond, the group called for wider dissemination of the ministry’s guide, “Examples of Polling Station Responses for Persons with Disabilities,” and for thorough implementation of reasonable accommodations in voting.

When people with disabilities go to polling stations, they are able to use disability welfare services such as severe home-visit care, accompaniment support, and behavioral support. In addition, the ministry is responsible for covering expenses related to creating an accessible voting environment—such as braille voting devices and special lighting. The group also urged that these measures be more fully publicized and improved.

The forum held a press conference at the House of Councillors Members’ Office Building on the 22nd, where it released the results of a post–July 2025 House of Councillors election survey on barrier-free voting targeting people with disabilities. Of the 72 respondents, 30% said that “the voting environment had improved.”

While the forum said it “feels the beginning of improvement,” more than 200 free-response comments highlighted many ongoing issues, including remarks such as “the text is too small to read” and “polling stations are not barrier-free.”