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Disability Discrimination Japan Podcast Politics

Disability News Japan Podcast: Nine of Hokkaido’s Town Councils Ban ‘mentally disabled’ from Attending Meetings

A survey by the Hokkaido prefectural government found that there are at least nine towns and villages in the prefecture that prohibit people with intellectual disabilities from sitting on the council through bylaws or regulations. The prefecture is calling for action, such as considering amendments to the ‘Act for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination’, on the grounds that this may be in violation of the Act.

Disability Discrimination Japan Politics

At least 9 towns and villages in Hokkaido ban people with mental and intellectual disabilities from attending council meetings

A survey by the Hokkaido prefectural government found that there are at least nine towns and villages in the prefecture that prohibit people with intellectual disabilities from sitting on the council through bylaws or regulations. The prefectural is calling for action, such as considering amendments to the ‘Act for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination’, on the grounds that this may be in violation of the Act.

Crime Disability Japan

Nagoya disability support facility employee allegedly stole ATM card from male client, withdrawing 1.3 million yen

A staff member at an employment support facility for people with disabilities in Nagoya was arrested on suspicion of theft and other offences for stealing the cash card of a male user of the facility, handing it to another user of the facility, and forced him to withdraw approximately 1.3 million yen in cash from an ATM.

Day Care Service Disability Japan

Fukushima after-school care facility for children with disabilities found not to meet legal standards, ordered to return 15 million Yen in funding

A day service facility in Date City that provides after-school care for children with disabilities was found not to meet legal standards for staffing, and the prefecture took administrative action to suspend the facility’s operator designation for three months on the grounds that it had fraudulently received around 15 million yen in benefits.

Assisted Dying Crime Japan

“I didn’t kill my husband” Mother of ALS patient contract killer and former doctor pleads not guilty

On 13th February, the Kyoto District Court held the first trial of Junko Yamamoto’s mother, 78, who was accused of conspiring with her son, former doctor Naoki Yamamoto, 45, and others to kill her husband in 2011, a crime for which he received 13 years in prison. Junko said: ‘I did not kill my husband and I did not conspire with him. I am not guilty” and denied the indictment.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Disability Japan Podcast

Disability News Japan Podcast: Severely Disabled Woman Contracted COVID-19 in January 2023, Refused Admission to a Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital

In January this year, a woman who lives in Ota Ward, Tokyo, who has cerebral palsy, a speech impediment palsy and uses home visiting care contracted a new variant of the coronavirus and requested to be admitted to a metropolitan hospital, but was refused.