On October 18th, the Japan Council of Disabled People, an NPO made up of groups for disabled people, requested the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to improve the barrier-free environment at polling stations so that disabled people can vote smoothly in the Lower House election. They said there are differences in the way election commissions handle things depending on the city, ward, town, and village, and called for the thorough use of the collection of support cases created by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The request calls for (1) the preparation of materials with the list of candidates written in Braille or large print, (2) permission to have a helper accompany people when voting, and (3) publicizing the fact that people who have difficulty moving around can vote by post, and people who have difficulty writing can vote by proxy by having a polling station employee write for them.

Episode Notes:

‘Ahead of Lower House Election, Japan Council of Disabled People Calls for Improvements to Enable Ability to Vote’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/19/ahead-of-lower-house-election-japan-council-of-disabled-people-calls-for-improvements-to-enable-ability-to-vote/

The suspect (71) arrested on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse, is a driver for a disability support facility in Koganei City, Tokyo, who is suspected of sexually assaulting a female user in her 20s on the bus he was driving in July this year.

The suspect denied the charges, saying, “I did nothing obscene.” The woman claims to have been a victim of similar assaults multiple times, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating her for other crimes as well.

Episode notes:

‘Driver arrested for sexually assaulting female user of a support facility for people with disabilities on a Tokyo shuttle bus’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/16/driver-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-female-user-of-a-support-facility-for-people-with-disabilities-on-a-tokyo-shuttle-bus/

A 34-year-old man was arrested for assaulting a visually impaired man by kicking him with his foot in the multipurpose restroom at Jimbocho Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line in Tokyo. The suspect Ikeda admitted to the investigation that he “felt rushed” and admitted to the charges.

Episode Notes:

‘Man arrested for allegedly assaulting visually impaired man in multi-purpose toilet at Jimbocho Station, Tokyo:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/14/man-arrested-for-allegedly-assaulting-visually-impaired-man-in-multi-purpose-toilet-at-jimbocho-station-tokyo/

A total of 38 cases suspected to be abuse were confirmed going back about 10 years, with 11 users abused and nine staff members abusing them, and the committee pointed out that "abuse had become the norm.” According to the report, the abuse continued from around 2014 until last year, and included the following acts: hitting users on the head and ankles with a mallet in what was called "Hammer Chance"; forcing users to drink large amounts of fluids in what was called the "Sakazuki Challenge"; and making users run down the hallways and do squats under the pretext of dieting and exercise.

Episode Notes:

‘38 cases of suspected abuse at facility for people with disabilities in Kanagawa Prefecture’s Aina Yamayuri En facility: Abuse has been the norm for 10 years’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/12/38-cases-of-suspected-abuse-at-facility-for-people-with-disabilities-in-kanagawa-prefectures-aina-yamayuri-en-facility-abuse-has-been-the-norm-for-10-years/

The Diet enacted a bill into law on Tuesday to compensate victims of forced sterilization under Japan’s now-defunct eugenic protection law.

The new law includes a preamble expressing the state’s apology and calls for compensation of 15 million yen each for victims and 5 million yen for their spouses, as well as a lump-sum payment of 2 million yen for those forced to have abortions.

The compensation law will take effect three months after its promulgation.

MARK: A CALL TO ACTION is the story of Dr. Mark Bookman, a severely disabled Pennsylvania-born American who later resided in Tokyo full-time, becoming one of Japan's leading experts on accessibility and a policy consultant to governments and major corporations around the world. His tireless efforts helped raise awareness and positively impacted the lives of not only disabled persons, but also children, seniors and vulnerable populations in the United States, Japan and many other nations.

Episode notes:

‘Japan’s Diet Passes Forced Sterilization Bill’

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/09/diet-passes-forced-sterilization-compensation-bill/

Information About Accessing ‘Mark: A Call to Action’:

https://geni.us/markacalltoaction?fbclid=IwY2xjawF0jgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqXdN7gkBFTcCO7ro-YQ3nSMTftJ7uMNwO7VTRdJXGFZzj_yt5WwN7DKg_aem_V73vfBOJY4wH4AT_VpYkug

Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, unanimously passed a bill on Monday 7th October to compensate victims of forced sterilization under the now-defunct eugenic protection law. The bill is expected to be enacted on Tuesday after approval by the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. It calls for compensation of 15 million yen each for victims and 5 million yen for their spouses, as well as a lump-sum payment of 2 million yen to those forced to have abortions. If victims and their spouses are already deceased, the bill allows their bereaved families to seek compensation.

Episode Notes: ‘Japan Lower House OKs Forced Sterilization Compensation Bill’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/07/japan-lower-house-oks-forced-sterilization-compensation-bill/

'Japan's Diet Enacts Forced Sterilization Compensation Bill'

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/10/09/diet-passes-forced-sterilization-compensation-bill/

There is one week to go until the release of ‘Mark - A Call to Action’ on October 8th 2024!

Mark Bookman was a historian, whose specialism was disability policy and related social movements in Japanese and global contexts. He studied Japanese Studies at University of Pennsylvania, and at the time of his death on December 16th 2022 he was Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Tokyo. The film is directed by Ron Small.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Call-Action-DVD-Various/dp/B0D6PH3C85/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UMQ5O7K36KT6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AV5r-khNLphtP721iOKIug_CiNHu6cpdFjhGG7o7EjtzT5kDW5KwctMxFwPX7QwbzWjbhVl-ZmHz2y2VFGdlftGQ5SjE_8RAL9DUrUFdP_WIPkBKsEfueyuvagRWLlqtEcc7uJaTiUJteBTx3LyFiBvh4Xt4-BfKm7dIVTD3b-pgU6wTcXUxXLWREXy9cvXRGxvzN5rHSdTmibGhQCqklMV5jV53YmJPYhVeEztvS-Y.Tat_fiKhi8Sed3nt3GPnK2ARv2J2cKYfPaihOsL2uoc&dib_tag=se&keywords=mark+a+call+to+action+dvd&qid=1727700351&sprefix=mark+a+c%2Caps%2C309&sr=8-1

MVDshop: https://mvdshop.com/products/mark-a-call-to-action-dvd?_pos=1&_sid=0cf54414d&_ss=r

Information about the ‘GLIDE Fund, Inc’:

https://www.glidefund.org

GLIDE Stands for ‘Global Leaders in International Disability Education’. The organization was established to provide financial assistance to disabled students interested in education exchange experiences to foster an inclusive society in which anyone can lead an independent and self-determined life.

GLIDE’s goal is to carry on the legacy of Dr. Mark Bookman and spark dialogue surrounding the ways architects, engineers, educators, policy makers and other interested parties can help improve access to built environments, and through the GLIDE Fund, a network of disabled University students will receive scholarships to travel globally to learn, train, and be motivated to share ideas and bring about greater change and awareness in the community throughout the world.

A forum was held in Tokyo on September 22nd to form a national network for people with developmental disabilities, Kyodo News reported. In order to reflect the voices of people with developmental disabilities in national and local government policies, local groups of people with developmental disabilities have decided to form a national network. Representatives of the initiators exchanged opinions on issues such as employment and welfare. A website will be launched within the year and participation will be encouraged.

Episode notes:

‘National network for people with developmental disabilities will be formed; voices of people with developmental disabilities will be reflected in policies’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/09/24/national-network-for-people-with-developmental-disabilities-will-be-formed-voices-of-people-with-developmental-disabilities-will-be-reflected-in-policies/

On September 17th, two parents and their children in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, claiming that their opinions and those of their guardians were not respected and were harmed during school counselling sessions for their children with disabilities.

The parents and children allege that they wished to study in regular classes at public elementary and junior high schools, but were not accepted by the local public schools and the Board of Education, and that they were further subjected to human rights violations in which their wishes were denied by the parents and children, who were subjected to hurtful words during the consultation.

Episode notes:

‘ “You won’t let him go to school”: Parents and child file suit, claiming their “human rights were violated” during consultation on school enrollment for disabled child’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/09/19/you-wont-let-him-go-to-school-parents-and-child-file-suit-claiming-their-human-rights-were-violated-during-consultation-on-school-enrollment-for-disabled-child/

Mark Bookman was a historian, whose specialism was disability policy and related social movements in Japanese and global contexts. He studied Japanese Studies at University of Pennsylvania, and at the time of his death on December 16th 2022 he was Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Tokyo.

The documentary film ‘Mark: A Call To Action’, directed by Ron Small about Mark, will be released on DVD on October 8th 2024:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3xD55Ik