Category: developmental disabilities

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 1, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Education Japan Podcast

University students with developmental disabilities increase in Japan [Podcast Episode]

The number of university students with developmental disabilities in Japan is on the rise, with their conditions often identified at a late stage through challenges in their social lives. According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization, 14,666 students with developmental disabilities were enrolled in universities, junior colleges and technical colleges in the 2024 academic year, approximately five times the number from 10 years ago.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 14, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Japan

Miyako Island pesticide-linked contamination suspected amid surge in developmental disorders

The number of children diagnosed with developmental disorders has risen sharply on Miyako Island in recent years, with pesticide-related groundwater contamination suspected as a possible cause. While the issue has become a major concern among local residents, it has received little to no coverage in national media. Similar cases of groundwater, river and tap water contamination have also been reported in other parts of Japan in recent years, suggesting the problem may be more widespread.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 3, 2025 Number of comments0
Care Children developmental disabilities Disability Japan

“High quality therapeutic care is necessary!”: Kochi Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities Concerned Over Facility Closure Plans

There is a growing possibility that the Hata Hope House Daycare Center “Tsukushinbo” in Sukumo City, which provides therapeutic care for children with developmental disabilities, will close at the end of this fiscal year, and parents in the Hata area are calling for reconsideration. According to the social welfare corporation “Tosa Hope House” (Nangoku City), which runs the facility, the reasons for the closure are the long-running deficit and the expected decrease in users. Parents have submitted 6,247 signatures to the corporation, citing the facility as “high quality therapeutic care and necessary for the community,” and calling for its continuation.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 2, 2025 Number of comments0
developmental disabilities Disability Japan Podcast Travel

Only 10% of Train Commuters with ‘Mental Disabilities’ in Japan Request ‘Reasonable Accommodation’ [Podcast Episode]

Half of people with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities in Japan have experienced problems using trains, but only 10% have requested reasonable accommodation from train staff, according to a survey conducted by the mental disability group Polke on May 2nd. The revised Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in April 2024, requires private businesses, including trains, to provide reasonable accommodation, but the survey report pointed out that only 10% of people have requested reasonable accommodation, which is a “very serious problem.” It recommended that training for disabled people’s organizations and train staff to learn together needs to be improved.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 24, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free developmental disabilities Disability Japan Travel

Despite Half of Commuters with Disabilities Experiencing Problems Using Trains in Japan, Only 10% of People with Mental Disabilities Request Reasonable Accommodation

Half of people with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities in Japan have experienced problems using trains, but only 10% have requested reasonable accommodation from train staff, according to a survey conducted by the mental disability group Polke on May 2nd. The revised Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which will come into force in April 2024, requires private businesses, including trains, to provide reasonable accommodation, but the survey report points out that only 10% of people have requested reasonable accommodation, which is a “very serious problem.” It recommended that training for disabled people’s organizations and train staff to learn together needs to be improved.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 29, 2025 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Children developmental disabilities Japan Medical

Japan Government Strengthens Support for Local Government to Conduct Medical Checkups of 5-Year-Olds for Early Detection of Developmental Disabilities

The government has begun to strengthen its support for local governments to promote health checkups for infants and toddlers at the age of 5 years old, as it is effective in early detection of developmental disabilities. The program aims to provide appropriate support for children with developmental disorders before they start school, as it is easy to recognize the characteristics of developmental disorders. While local governments are obligated to conduct health checks for 18-month-olds and 3-year-olds, and “school entry health checks” conducted about six months before entering elementary school, 5-year-old health checks are optional, and only 14% of local governments conducted them in fiscal 2011. The Child and Family Agency aims to implement 100% nationwide by fiscal 2028.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 27, 2025 1
ADHD Autism developmental disabilities Intellectual disabilities Japan

Amidst Controversy Over Book Depicting Neurodivergent People as Animals, Publisher Changes Author’s Credentials

In the pre-release book that the Mainichi Shimbun obtained by the 18th, Kanda’s title was listed as “industrial counselor,” but by the 23rd, the title had been changed to “psychological counselor” on the website and mail-order site of the publisher, Mikasa Shobo. According to the Japan Association of Industrial Counselors, which administers the qualification exam for industrial counselors, Kanda is not currently registered as an industrial counselor. Kanda passed the “industrial counselor” qualification, a certification given by the former Ministry of Labor, in January 1999, and considering that “the author has been displaying this qualification for about 30 years, long before the association registered the trademark,” she initially used this title in the publication.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 26, 2025 1
Barrier Free developmental disabilities Education Japan

Nippon Foundation Estimates 360,000 Young People in Japan have been Diagnosed with Developmental Disorders

On March 27, the Nippon Foundation announced an estimate that 364,000 young people between the ages of 20 and 25 have been diagnosed with developmental disorders. It said that 870,000 people believe that they have the disorder even though they have not been diagnosed. In order to understand the actual situation of young people who are unable to adapt to university life or job hunting, an online survey was conducted in November 2024. 17,398 people responded.