On September 17th, two parents and their children in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, claiming that their opinions and those of their guardians were not respected and were harmed during school counselling sessions for their children with disabilities.
The parents and children allege that they wished to study in regular classes at public elementary and junior high schools, but were not accepted by the local public schools and the Board of Education, and that they were further subjected to human rights violations in which their wishes were denied by the parents and children, who were subjected to hurtful words during the consultation.
he “Miyagi Appeal Action” rally was held in Sendai City on the 16th to raise awareness of the discrimination and difficulties facing people with disabilities. This is held annually by an executive committee made up of over 40 disability groups in Miyagi Prefecture. This year, in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the theme was “Disability and Disaster Prevention,” and an appeal was adopted calling on the government to develop disaster prevention and evacuation plans that reflect the perspectives of people with disabilities.
In 1977, large-scale protests were held over the public bus operator’s refusal to allow people in wheelchairs with cerebral palsy to board, which became known as the “Kawasaki bus struggle.” This became an impetus for the progression of rights for those with disabilities.
The Japanese government decided on Friday to set up a task force to eradicate discrimination against disabled people.
The decision followed a recent Supreme Court ruling that the former eugenic protection law, which allowed forced sterilizations of disabled people, was unconstitutional. The first meeting of the task force will be held on Monday.
In order to not impose excessive burdens on companies, they are now required to take necessary measures only if the accommodations fall within the scope of normal operations.
When Ryoko Nakajima posted about this incident on social media, in which she said she would be refused admission to the cinema next time, it went viral.
The next day, Aeon Entertainment, which operates the cinema chain, issued an apology:
“It has come to our attention that an Aeon Entertainment employee made an inappropriate comment to a customer while assisting the customer to move to another location after the customer had finished watching a movie. We regret the incident and believe that it was caused by a lack of guidance to our employees.”
There were various opinions floating around on social media with some making statements like:
“Everyone wants to choose their favorite seat.”
“Is it normal to request assistance outside of work?”
Property owners often hesitate to enter rental contracts with seniors and individuals with disabilities due to concerns about their ability to pay rent or that they may die in their homes and not be discovered for a lengthy period of time.
PM Kishida said it is “not rare” in Japan for foreign residents, the disabled, Ainu indigenous people, and others to experience discrimination when seeking jobs, finding housing and engaging in activities, adding such things are “totally unacceptable.”
After more than 400 years, the iconic Nagoya Castle is under siege, this time by those wanting to make it more accessible to wheelchair-users and those who are determined to keep it as original as possible.
At a town hall meeting on the planned reconstruction of the castle here on June 3, a man scolded a wheelchair-user.
“Don’t confuse equality with your selfishness,” the man said. “How dare you be so selfish.”
Barrier Free Japan