Gallery: Disability Japan 2004-04
Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
The current system recognizes three types of disabilities in Japan:
- Physical and internal
- Intellectual disabilities
- Psychiatric disabilities
Until very recently, only the first two were eligible for the disability ID card. This means that persons with psychiatric disabilities in Japan could not receive any of the services given to people with the other types of disabilities. The system recently changed and people with psychiatric disabilities can now receive an ID card, but its benefits are still limited compared to the other two.
The reality is that most people with psychiatric disabilities in Japan are institutionalized. The government has used this as their rationale for not providing services -- if they are in a mental hospital, they do not need access to social welfare services like job quotas or the disability pension.
But ever since the creation of an ID card for those with psychiatric disabilities, there has been a rapid expansion in the number of people applying for it. People with psychiatric disabilities could well be the largest category emering at the moment -- and this belies the notion that those with psychiatric disabilities did not need social services or desire to live in an integrated community environment.
The protesters were fighting for both the de-institutionalization of people with severe disabilities (of all varieties); a moratorium on the building of new institutional facilities; and more provisions for people with severe disabilities to live independently in their local communities.
Severe Disabilities
The current system is set up to mostly help those with minor disabilities enter the workforce. Those who have more severe disabilities are expected to stay at home or in an institution. The government has only recently begun providing attendant care through the shienpi system. However, just as the shienpi is allowing people with severe disabilities to live independently, the government is threatening to cut it. This is one of the most important concerns of the protesters.
