Chapter 2 Promotion of Measures for Persons with Disabilities
Welfare for Persons with Disabilities in Japan 2007

1. Comprehensive Approach
go to 2

The measures for persons with disabilities in Japan, in accordance with the Fundamental Law for Disabled Persons, aim to provide services which meet the needs of persons with disabilities in welfare, medical care, pension, education, employment and other areas and also to promote a barrier-free society in terms of both hardware and software including access to buildings, transportation and information.

Specific legislations and systems are established in each area and therefore dispersed to corresponding ministries. To promote effective and comprehensive measures, relevant ministries maintain close cooperation with each other. The Headquarters for Promoting Measures for Persons with Disabilities was set up in the Cabinet Office, headed by the Prime Minister as Director with all relevant ministers as its members and thus enabling the government to take a unified approach in promoting measures for persons with disabilities.

2. Fundamental Law for Disabled Persons
go to 3

“Fundamental Law for Countermeasures for Mentally and Physically Handicapped Persons” enacted in 1970 was amended largely in 1993 and renamed to “Fundamental Law for Disabled Persons”. This law aims to promote the independence and participation of persons with disabilities in society, economy, culture and all other spheres.

The law was partially amended again in June 2004; ① the concept of non-discrimination on the basis of disabilities is explicitly spelled out, ② “Disabled Persons’ Day (9 December)” is expanded to “Disabled Persons’ Week (3 – 9 December)”, ③ prefectural and municipal governments are obliged to establish “Prefectual/Municipal Government Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities” based on “Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities” ④ provisions concerning the promotion of mutual understanding between students with disabilities and students without disabilities in education and the subsidies to work activities places and vocational training facilities for persons with disabilities in a community are added, ⑤a provision concerning the promotion of research and development on intractable diseases causing disability and others is added, and ⑥ “Central Council on Promotion of the Measures for Persons with Disabilities” is established in the Cabinet Office to give opinions to the Prime Minister regarding establishment of Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities.

3. Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities
go to 4

Japanese government is required, by the Fundamental Law for Disabled Persons, to make a basic plan regarding measures for persons with disabilities in order to comprehensively and systematically promote measures for welfare of persons with disabilities and measures for prevention of disabilities. “Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities” was resolved at the Cabinet Meeting on 24 December 2002.

“Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities” covers a period of ten years from fiscal year of 2003 through 2012. It succeeds the concept of “normalization” and “rehabilitation” from the New Long-Term Plan and also adopts the philosophy of “inclusive society” where every citizen respects personality and individuality and supports each other. Under these philosophies, the Basic Plan aims to realize an inclusive society where human rights of persons with disabilities are respected as equal members of society, and persons with disabilities participate in society by making their own decisions and self-determination and share the responsibilities as a member of society.

Based on the “Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities”, the “Five-Year Plan for Implementation of Priority Measures” was approved by the Headquarters for Promoting Measures for Persons with Disabilities on the same day as the Basic Plan. The Five-Year Plan covers the period of first five years of the Basic Plan from fiscal year of 2003 through 2007 and defines concrete numerical targets to be achieved in the implementation of priority measures during this period.

4. Major Government Measures for Persons with Disabilities
go to 5

Ministries	Areas	Measures
Cabinet Office	General coordination	Administration of the Headquarters for Promoting Measures for Persons with Disabilities, awareness raising and public relations (Disabled Persons' Week, commemorative gatherings, regional conferences to promote measures for persons with disabilities, programs to increase understanding of persons with disabilities, etc), establishment of the Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities, etc
National Police Agency	Traffic safety measures	Installation of audible traffic signals for persons with visual disabilities, consideration concerning road and traffic safety such as exemption from no-parking rule, consultation on driving aptitude, etc
Ministry of Justice	National Bar Examination	Special establishment of human rights consultation offices, loan of law textbooks in Braille for examination
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Exchange with foreign countries	Technical cooperation in the fields related to rehabilitation of persons with disabilities
Ministry of Finance	Tax reduction/exemption (national tax)	Income Tax – tax deduction for persons with disabilities Corporate Tax – service of sheltered workshop Consumption Tax – items for persons with physical disabilities (specified by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare) Customs – equipment produced especially for persons with physical disabilities Inheritance Tax – tax deduction for persons with disabilities Gift Tax – property trust based on trust contract to support persons with very severe disabilities
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	Special education, higher education etc	School for the blind, school for the deaf, special school for children with disabilities, setting up special examination rooms, provision of personal assistants etc
	Entrusted development of medical and welfare related equipment
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare	Welfare in general, pension, medical care etc	Welfare for persons with disabilities, rehabilitation measures, livelihood security, medical treatment, Welfare Annuity Insurance, National Pension, Health Insurance etc
	Employment measures, industrial accidents, assistance for persons with disabilities	Subsidy to promote employment, public vocational training, Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance, Guarantor of identity to assist in finding a job and employment (note 1), loan for employment (note2)
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	Conditioning of living environment	Preventive measures for industrial accidents in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, conditioning the living environment in farming, fishing, and mountain villages to, accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, improving the eating habits and living environment of persons with visual disabilities, etc
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	Promotion of development of welfare related equipment	Research and development of various welfare equipment, standardization of welfare equipment, etc
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport	Discount fare, public transport system measures	Discount fare for railways, buses and aircrafts, discount fare for toll roads, improvement in transport system such as railways and aircrafts (measures for persons with disabilities in wheelchairs, measures for persons with visual disabilities, etc)
	Housing measures, public institution measures, fee reduction/exemption	Provision of public housings for persons with physical disabilities, promotion of conditioning public buildings and roads to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, moving into public housings with priority, special treatment for housing loans, discount fare for toll roads
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications	Fee reduction/exemption, communication and broadcast	Reduction or exemption of Japan Broadcasting Corporation(NHK) subscription fees, free postage for Braille materials, reduced fee of installation and usage of telephone device for welfare, improving captioned broadcast and broadcast with audio description, sign language interpreter in broadcast of political views
	Tax reduction/exemption (local tax)	Residence Tax – tax deduction for persons with disabilities Business Tax – tax reduction/exemption in medical profession such as massage and acupuncture etc practiced by persons with severe disabilities reduction/exemption of Automobile Tax, Light-weight Vehicle Tax and Automobile Acquisition Tax for cards and light vehicles, reduction/exemption from Real Estate Acquisition Tax and Business Tax

Notes;

1. Guarantor of identity to assist in finding a job and employment:
   The Employment and Human Resources Development Organization of Japan guarantees the identity of persons with disabilities who get employed as full-time workers through Public Employment Security Office in case they do not have an appropriate surety guarantor of identity.
2. Loan for employment:
   The Employment and Human Resources Development Organization of Japan provides loans for necessary costs in finding a job and preparing for employment when necessary, to those who get employed as full-time workers through Public Employment Security Office.

5. Progress of Five-Year Plan for Implementation of Priority Measures (FY2003 – 2007)
go to 1

Target objectives		Numeric target	Before the Plan (based on actual results)	FY2004 (based on the actual results)
Perinatal medical networks		47 prefectures	20 prefectures (at the end of FY2002)	30 prefectures (at the end of FY2004)
Participants in trainings of engineers who support persons with disabilities in utilizing IT		More than 10,000 persons		2,814 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Home helpers		Approx. 60,000 home helpers	42,722 home helpers (at the end of FY2002)	86,002 home helpers (at the end of FY2004)
Short-term stay		For approx. 5,600 persons	For 4,126 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 7,849 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Day services		Approx. 1,600 places	1,164 places (at the end of FY2002)	2,162 places (at the end of FY2004)
Non-residential service for children with disabilities (Day services for children with disabilities)		For approx. 11,000 children	529 places (at the end of FY2002)	For 12,949 children (at the end of FY2004)
Non-residential service for children/persons with severe physical or psychiatric disabilities		Approx. 280 places	174 places (at the end of FY2002)	231 places (at the end of FY2004)
Group homes		For approx. 30,400 persons	For 18,870 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 27,956 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Welfare homes		For approx. 5,200 persons	For 3,354 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 4,172 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Non-residential sheltered workshops		For approx. 73,700 persons	For 52,249 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 68,599 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Barrier-free houses in stock [by 2015]		20%	2.7% (FY1998)	3.4% (FY2003)
Removal of barriers from existing government facilities with service counters under the control of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport [by 2010]		100%	57% (at the end of FY2002)	65% (at the end of FY2004)
Removing different floor levels in public transportation system which handle daily passengers of more than 5,000 on average [by 2005] (Removing different floor levels, installing Braille blocks and establishing toilets for persons with disabilities. 100% by 2010)	Railway stations	Approx. 60%	39.0% (at the end of FY2002)	48.7% (at the end of FY2004)
	Bus terminals	Approx. 80%	71.1% (at the end of FY2002)	76.7% (at the end of FY2004)
	Passenger ship terminal	Approx. 70%	55.6% (at the end of FY2002)	77.8% (at the end of FY2004)
	Airport terminal	Approx. 70%	0% (at the end of FY2002)	31.8% (at the end of FY2004)
Removal of barriers from rolling stock [by 2005] (approx. 30% by 2010)		Approx. 20%	19.4% (at the end of FY2002)	27.9% (at the end of FY2004)
Lowered floor buses [by 2005] (100% by 2015)		Approx. 30%	13.8% (at the end of FY2002)	22.6% (at the end of FY2004)
Non-step buses [by 2005] (20-25% by 2010)		Approx. 10%	6.5% (at the end of FY2002)	12.0% (at the end of FY2004)
Passenger ships accessibility improvement [by 2005] (Approx. 50% by 2010)		Approx. 25%	2.1% (at the end of FY2002)	7.0% (at the end of FY2004)
Aircrafts accessibility improvement [by 2005] (Approx. 40% by 2010)		Approx. 35%	24.5% (at the end of FY2002)	40.7% (at the end of FY2004)
Welfare taxis [by 2005]		2,600 vehicles	3,276 vehicles (at the end of FY2002)	7,255 vehicles (at the end of FY2004)
Accessible main roads around major railway stations		53%	17% (at the end of FY2002)	31% (at the end of FY2004)
Preservation of facilities for people in need of support to be hospitalized or stay at the time of disasters		240 facilities		Approx. 100 facilities (at the end of FY2004)
Emergency psychiatric medical system		47 prefectures	46 prefectures (at the end of FY2002)	47 prefectures (at the end of FY2004)
Community living support center for persons with psychiatric disabilities		Approx. 470 centers	377 centers (at the end of FY2002)	471 centers (at the end of FY2004)
Home helpers for persons with psychiatric disabilities (included in above mentioned “Home helpers”)		Approx. 3,300 home helpers		2,547 home helpers (at the end of FY2004)
Group homes for persons with psychiatric disabilities (included in above mentioned “Group homes”)		For approx 12,200 persons	For 5,412 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 7,259 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Welfare homes for persons with psychiatric disabilities (included in above mentioned “Welfare homes”)		For approx. 4,000 persons	For 2,634 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 3,381 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Training facilities of daily living activities for persons with psychiatric disabilities (supporting dormitories)		For approx. 6,700 persons	For 5,306 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 5,912 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Non-residential sheltered workshops for persons with psychiatric disabilities ( included in above mentioned “Non-residential sheltered workshops”)		For approx. 7,200 persons	For 4,916 persons (at the end of FY2002)	For 6,651 persons (at the end of FY2004)
Securing of employment and jobs	Number of persons with disability who find jobs through Public Employment Security Office	30,000 persons	28,354 persons (FY2002)	For 35,871 persons (FY2004)
	Number of employed persons with disabilities in FY2008	600,000 persons		496,000 persons (FY2004)

Note:

In the column of “Target Objectives”, the target years other than FY2007 are indicated in brackets. When targets are set in stages, the final target is also written in parenthesis.