Category: Barrier Free

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 28, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Podcast

52.6% of Companies in Japan Find Disability Employment Targets “Difficult” to Achieve [Podcast Episode]

More than half of Japanese companies say they will struggle to meet the government’s higher disability employment quota, highlighting persistent challenges in workplace readiness and internal awareness. A survey by disability employment support firm Persol Diversity found that 52.6% of companies view achieving the revised statutory quota of 2.7%, which takes effect in July, as difficult, underscoring gaps in organizational understanding and the need for improved accommodations and support systems for workers with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Japan Employment Barrier Free

52.6% of Companies in Japan Find Disability Employment Targets “Difficult” to Achieve

More than half of Japanese companies say they will struggle to meet the government’s higher disability employment quota, highlighting persistent challenges in workplace readiness and internal awareness. A survey by disability employment support firm Persol Diversity found that 52.6% of companies view achieving the revised statutory quota of 2.7%, which takes effect in July, as difficult, underscoring gaps in organizational understanding and the need for improved accommodations and support systems for workers with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 21, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Disasters Japan

Japanese Prefectures Asked to Secure Hotels as Shelters

The Japanese government has asked prefectures to lead efforts to secure hotels as shelters during large-scale disasters. Guidelines drawn up by the Cabinet Office call on local officials, mainly at prefectural governments, to work to secure accommodation and match it with evacuees. The Cabinet Office also advises local governments to list hotels based on whether rooms are barrier-free and if evacuees can use them continuously for a certain period.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 11, 2026 1
Barrier Free Crime Disability Japan Police

Gifu Prefectural Police Introduce ‘Sign Language Link’, Available Even if No Police Present

Sign Language Link is provided by the Japan Foundation Telephone Relay Service, a general incorporated foundation based in Tokyo. When police officers leave a kōban or a residential police post, they put up a notice indicating their absence. By scanning the QR code on this notice with a smartphone or other device, users are connected to a video call, initiating a three-way conversation between the user, a sign language interpreter, and an officer at the police station.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 4, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast Politics Sanae Takaichi

Japan PM Takaichi Aims for “Inclusive Society” at Barrier-Free Awards Ceremony [Podcast Episode]

Speaking at an award ceremony recognizing contributions to the promotion of barrier-free and universal design initiatives on December 24th 2025, Prime Minister Takaichi said: “The society we aim for is an “inclusive society” in which all people, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, respect each other’s human rights and dignity, support each other, and are able to enjoy vibrant lives.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 3, 2026 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan Politics Sanae Takaichi

At Awards Ceremony Recognizing Barrier Free Initiatives, PM Takaichi Says She Aims for an “inclusive society”

Speaking at an award ceremony recognizing contributions to the promotion of barrier-free and universal design initiatives, Takaichi said: “The society we aim for is an “inclusive society” in which all people, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, respect each other’s human rights and dignity, support each other, and are able to enjoy vibrant lives.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 31, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Deaf Disability Japan United Nations

Japan calls inadequate sign language access at UN a “grave issue”

A Japanese member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has criticized the United Nations for failing to provide adequate sign language interpretation, saying it is not complying with its own disability rights convention. Hiroshi Tamon, a deaf lawyer who began a four-year term on the committee in January 2025, says interpretation is provided only for official meetings, forcing him to pay most costs himself for other essential activities. Japan’s Foreign Ministry has raised the issue with the UN, calling it a “grave issue.”

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 3, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Japan Podcast Tokyo

Tokyo Annual ‘Disability Week’ to be Held December 3rd to 9th [Podcast Episode]

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on December 1st that it will hold its annual ‘Disability Week’ from December 3rd to 9th. The aim of ‘Disability Week’ is to deepen public interest and understanding of disability welfare and to encourage people with disabilities to actively participate in all areas of social, economic, and cultural activities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 2, 2025 1
Barrier Free Disability Japan Tokyo

Tokyo Annual Disability Week to be Held December 3rd to 9th

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on December 1st that it will hold its annual ‘Disability Week’ from December 3rd to 9th. The aim of ‘Disability Week’ is to deepen public interest and understanding of disability welfare and to encourage people with disabilities to actively participate in all areas of social, economic, and cultural activities.