July 2, 2009, Community Visit
Training Report - Decent work course
Today one of the committee members, professor of Kanagawa Institute of Technology conducted the observation-cum-study for five participants to learn how the citizens with disabilities live in Atsugi City.
In the morning, they visited a home of a professional painter who has severe disability. She suffered quadriplegia due to cervical injury at her age of 22. After 7 years' hospitalization she felt an urge to live independently in the community and she worked hard to obtain the social and daily living skills through the training at Rehabilitation Center.
She lives in a barrier-free flat of a public housing provided by Atsugi City, with her husband and a daughter now. She uses various types of welfare services including 24-hour personal assistance, provision of assistive devices and remodeling of her house according to her needs. So many times I visited Atsugi City Hall in order to get present services and conditions, she explained to the participants. Five participants understood she could enjoy her community life because she never gave up her life.
Then the participants visited the Comprehensive Welfare Center of Atsugi City to have lunch at a restaurant “Donguri (acorn)” where persons with intellectual disabilities are working. They also had a chance to visit 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.
He is an employee of a special subsidiary of a famous company in the employment service industry in Japan however he doesn't have to go to work. In stead of commuting to an office, he works at home using a computer. The system of “employment at home” allowed him to live independently in the community. He explained both merits and demerits of working at home, and he emphasized how important “to work” is for him. A staff from his company kindly came to explain why they started “employment at home” and the participants could learn about the company's efforts to employ persons with disabilities.
Before visiting the last house five participants made a short visit to “Asayake (morning glow), a small-sized community workshop for persons with disabilities. The director is a wheelchair user and he commutes to the workshop by driving his car. Participants were so interested in seeing how he transfers from his wheelchair to his car. They could also observe how people with disabilities work in the community.
Lastly the participants visited a dream house owned by the director of the workshop. It's a barrier-free house designed by a couple with disabilities. The participants were amazed with various assistive devices and automated equipment.
From today's community visit, the participants could understand that even persons with severe disabilities can live independently in a community.
