Yasuhiko Funago, a former House of Councilors lawmaker with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, called on politicians to guarantee the right to “live until the end,” in a recent written interview.
The retired lawmaker of Reiwa Shinsengumi, an opposition party, served one six-year term in the Upper House before deciding not to seek re-election in this July’s election.
The Izumisano Welfare Association, a social welfare corporation operating 28 disability welfare facilities in Osaka Prefecture (chaired by Hirofumi Muroi), has created a program titled “Parent-Child Mirai Work: A Guide to Everyone’s Path to Jiritsu (Independence) from a Lifewide Learning Perspective”, which helps both young people with disabilities and their parents learn about “jiritsu” (independence). The word “jiritsu” is written in hiragana to avoid making the concept seem overly complicated. The program summarizes the results of a two-year project supported by the Nippon Foundation.
The research group developed a gamelike system that uses a cylindrical device with the firmness of hard tofu. Users adjust their grip force between 150 and 400 grams to trace a line of stars displayed on the screen. People with mild cognitive impairment tend to deviate from the line more easily than healthy elderly individuals, allowing for early detection of those suspected of developing the condition.
In the early hours of July 26, 2016, a former employee of the Tsukui Yamayuri-en care home in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, broke in and killed 19 residents between the ages of 19 and 70 with a knife, injuring 26 others. In response to the incident, Kanagawa Prefecture has set a goal of “realizing a society where we can live together,” placing emphasis on a shift away from welfare policies that require people with disabilities to spend their entire lives in facilities, and promoting a shift to community living. However, in reality, there are many cases where attempts to open group homes (GHs) have been met with opposition from residents and forced to abandon plans.
Group homes for people with disabilities operated by a company in Minato Ward, Tokyo, are being audited by the national and local governments for allegedly overcharging food expenses. A support group for the disabled has set up a consultation service, citing widespread concern among users and their families.
“The purpose of this contest is to support researchers and developers from around the world in their efforts to develop innovative tools that will enable wheelchair-bound people with lower limb paralysis or other disabilities to walk independently, using their remaining functions, without the assistance of caregivers.”
Compared to other countries, Japan has more people with disabilities living in institutions and hospitals, which is regarded as a challenge. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare intends to amend the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act and the Mental Health Welfare Act to promote the transition to community life and put in place a system.
Barrier Free Japan