Tag - disability

 
 

DISABILITY

public spending for people with disabilities as a percentage of gross domestic product has been very low, at 0.7% to 1.2%, compared with the roughly 2% average by OECD countries.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 9, 2023
Japan facilities for disabled people face serious labor shortages
The industry has been affected by low wages and a shrinking population, according to an industry survey.
Eri Nanato (right) and her husband, Satoshi Kameyama, in Tokyo on Oct. 18. The pair have authored a manga series, "My Wife is Developmentally Disabled," based around their experiences.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 3, 2023
Married manga artists tell story about life with a disability
Published in a monthly magazine, the pair have authored a series titled "My Wife is Developmentally Disabled."
Miwa Takahashi pets a guinea pig at a Dreamnight at the Zoo event at the Chausuyama Zoo in Nagano in August.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2023
Dreamnight program enables disabled children to enjoy zoo visits
Kick-started by a zoo in the Netherlands in 1996, the Dreamnight at the Zoo initiative has percolated worldwide, including in Japan.
Plaintiffs filing damages lawsuits over forced sterilization under the now-defunct eugenic protection law head to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 2, 2023
Grand Bench of top court to rule on forced sterilization damages
Five district courts have found the old law to be unconstitutional, but all rejected damages claims citing the statute of limitations.
Children jump rope in a park. Young people with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) can have difficulties in jumping rope, throwing a ball or doing other common physical activities.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 16, 2023
Better understanding of developmental coordination disorder needed
DCD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it hard for children to control their bodily movements to perform daily activities.
A struggling novelist (Rie Miyazawa) wrestles with life’s bigger questions after taking a job at a care facility for people with severe disabilities in “The Moon.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 12, 2023
‘The Moon’: Provocative drama bites off more than it can chew
Yuya Ishii’s film courts controversy with a fictionalized retelling of a real-life knife attack at a care facility for people with mental disabilities.
American disability rights activist Helen Keller paid a visit to Japan 75 years ago this month.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Oct 2, 2023
Japan Times 1948: Helen Keller recounts impression of Japan tour
Kanto residents continued to come to terms with the violence following the previous month's earthquake, and Helen Keller pays a visit to Japan.
According to Justice Ministry statistics, about 20% of the inmates who ended up in prisons and other correctional facilities nationwide in 2021 were suspected of having intellectual disabilities.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2023
'Osaka Model' for aiding disabled lawbreakers reaches crossroads
The "Osaka Model" for aiding lawbreakers with disabilities has reached a crossroads due to challenges with securing welfare and personnel.
Ryo Onishi’s debut feature “Feelingscape” tells a slice-of-life story about a blind man struggling to connect to others while affirming his agency.
CULTURE
Sep 16, 2023
‘Feelingscape’: Ordinary lives made poignant
Ryo Onishi’s debut feature about a man living with a visual disability and his relationships goes into close detail that is both rare and revealing.
Saou Ichikawa won Japan's Akutagawa Prize for her novella "Hunchback," which takes place in a group home in present day and centers on a woman diagnosed with myotubular myopathy.
CULTURE / Books
Sep 2, 2023
Saou Ichikawa’s 'Hunchback': A darkly funny portrait of disability
The winner of the second 2023 Akutagawa Prize is a sardonic commentary on the utility of bodies, both abled and disabled.
Eiko Higuchi at her microphone production station at Sony Taiyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 25, 2023
A tiny factory is handcrafting mics for Justin Bieber and Dr. Dre
Sony Taiyo, a Sony Group subsidiary, is designed to give people with disabilities a fair chance in the workplace.
Matt Daniels of the Buffalo Bills Wheelchair Football Team moves with the ball during a scrimmage against the Cleveland Browns Adaptive Sports team in Cleveland on Aug. 5, 2023.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 24, 2023
Wheelchair football provides camaraderie amid metal-on-metal clashes
Dawson Broad was instantly drawn to wheelchair football after attending a game in Buffalo.
Elizabeth Kutschke at the park with her son Ben, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 15, 2023
When a $2 million gene therapy is not enough
Ben is one of a growing number of patients with spinal muscular atrophy whose doctors are turning to additional drugs in addition to gene therapy.
Yoshiko Hara (left) plays basketball with members of her Fukushima Club basketball team.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Jul 31, 2023
Pioneer in basketball for disabled people looks to inclusiveness
Through basketball, Yoshiko Hara aims to have players in her club acquire physical strength and stamina, as well as learn about group rules and manners.
The CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, where the AI Suitcase was introduced, in Anaheim, California, in March
BUSINESS
Jul 30, 2023
AI luggage for people with visual impairments nets rave reviews
The groundbreaking assistive technology recently underwent its first overseas public trial, garnering significant interest and sparking discussions about its future practical applications.
Saou Ichikawa (right) won Japan's Akutagawa Prize for her debut novel "Hunchback" on Wednesday. The Naoki Prize was awarded to Sayako Nagai (left) and Ryosuke Kakine (center).
CULTURE / Books
Jul 20, 2023
Disabled author wins Akutagawa literary award for the first time
Saou Ichikawa, who has congenital myopathy, was awarded the prestigious prize for her humorous novel "Hunchback," which offers commentary on the privileges of non-disabled people.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2023
Japanese school in Singapore begins classes for students with special needs
Previously, such children who attended dedicated classes at the Japanese School Singapore's elementary school division ended up without any such class at the secondary school.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2023
Japan tries to turn page on eugenics policies, but related ideas persist
A 1,400-page report by parliament on forced sterilizations of people with disabilities sets out Japan's grim history with eugenics, but experts say the matter is far from closed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2023
Some duped into sterilization surgery under eugenics law, parliament report says
Under a now-defunct eugenics law, 65% of sterilization procedures were carried out without consent and some were led to believe they were being treated for an illness.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jun 19, 2023
Sendai protein producer leaps ahead by engaging people with disabilities
Behind its success is the company's vast product lineup, which comes in small lots, and its outsourcing of manufacturing to welfare facilities for people with disabilities.

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'