Category: Deaf

In a lawsuit concerning the death of Ayuka Ide (then aged 11), who was born with a hearing impairment, and who was hit by a piece of heavy machinery seven years ago, the Osaka High Court changed the ruling of the first trial and allowed the payment of the same amount as a healthy person in the appeal trial judgment on the calculation of ‘lost earnings’ that could have been earned in the future. Although the lost earnings of disabled children have been reduced to a certain extent, it is unusual for a judicial decision to recognise the same amount. The high court judgement determined that Ayuka Ide ‘was able to work in the same workplace as able-bodied people’.

At some branches of 7-11, as you walk up to pay, you might see this mat, stuck to the counter. The mat has images with writing underneath, the writing is in Japanese & English and below the images it reads: ‘Buy Coffee’, ‘Buy Plastic Bag’, ‘Chopsticks’, ‘Fork’, ‘Spoon’, ‘Warm Up Microwave’, ‘Yes’ & ‘No’.

The mat is intended to help people with difficulties communicating, especially d/Deaf people and people with hearing impairments, when attempting to tell the 7-11 staff what they want to buy.