5. Report on the Use of Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Centers for the Disabled
Leadership Development Course 2009
A total of 375,060 people (Oji: 211,569 and Tama: 163,491) used two Centers enters in fiscal 2008, proving that the Centers are top ranking A-Type facilities in terms of annual user rates.
According to an announcement by the Health and Welfare Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the number of persons who have been issued disability certificates, as of March, 2008, was 536,954 (persons with physical disabilities: 429,635, persons with intellectual disabilities: 62,261, and persons with mental disabilities: 45,058). Compared to the previous fiscal year, persons with physical disabilities increased by approx. 2.0%, persons with intellectual disabilities by approx. 4.0%, and persons with mental disabilities by approx. 9.2%.
The number of registered users of the both Centers was 52,453, as of March, 2009, which is higher than the corresponding number for the previous fiscal year by 1,779. However, registered users constituted as small as 9.5% of all people with disabilities in Tokyo.
Considering these statistical results, it is speculated that only a small fraction of the local residents with disabilities use the Centers to enjoy sports partially because of geographical conditions on the part of both the Centers and the respective residents with disabilities.
It will be increasingly important to improve the local environment to enable persons with disabilities to easily engage in sports activities in the community. Toward this end, it is necessary to further expand the community development programs that the Association and the Sports Centers are currently undertaking; to implement programs in closer collaboration with municipal sports promotion sections; and to be creative in order to continue programs in the future.
