July 2, 2008, Community Visit
Training Report - Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2008
Planning Committee Member, organized today's visit to 3 homes of persons with severe disabilities in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Lecture material :Community Visit to Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture
In the morning, the participants visited a home of a person who has quadriplegia due to cervical injury. She lives in a barrier-free flat of a public housing provided by Atsugi City, with her husband and a daughter. She uses personal assistance throughout a day, including volunteers of university students at night time. She told to the participants that she had to negotiate many times with the City Hall in order to obtain the services and conditions which she has now. The participants were impressed with her strong spirits.
Then the participants visited the Comprehensive Welfare Center of Atsugi City to have lunch at a restaurant “Donguri (acorn)” where persons with disabilities are working. They also quickly visited a consultation room located in the same building, where consultation services for all three types of disabilities? physical, intellectual, and mental? are conveniently provided in one location for the citizens of Atsugi City and some neighboring municipalities.
In the afternoon, the participants had an opportunity to visit a home of a person who has quadriplegia due to car accident and to learn about the “employment at home.” He is an employee of a special subsidiary of a famous company in the employment service industry in Japan. In stead of commuting to an office, he works at home using a computer. He explained both merits and demerits of working at home, and he emphasized how important “to work” is for him. A staff from his comapany was also present and the participants could learn from him about the company's efforts to employ persons with disabilities.
Lastly the participants visited a dream house. It's a barrier-free house designed by a couple with disabilities. The participants were amazed with various assistive devices and automated equipment. Participant from Laos tried an electric lift to transfer from a bed to toilet and then to a bathroom. Afterwards, he smiled and commented “it was rather comfortable.”
Before visiting this house, the participants had an opportunity to make a short visit to a community workshop where the husband works as a director and observe how people with disabilities work in a community.
From today's community visit, the participants could understand that even persons with severe disabilities can live independently in a community.
