I want you to change it, ego? September 26, 15:27

Longed-for workplace that entered as long-cherished. However, the office door cannot be opened and the stairs cannot be raised. Furthermore, if the passage is too narrow to reach your desk ...

They are local elected members of the election. There is a “disability” in the body.

“I want to work as usual, change the environment. Is that an ego?”

They think in a conflict.
“Still, I call.“ Let ’s change. ”
(Yoshiyuki County)

A memorable day

September 3, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. In contrast to the clear blue sky, one young man faced the parliament on this day, when the heat that contained moisture entangled with the skin mercilessly.

He turned his usual tender expression and felt tense and raised his right hand straight, and he gave a deep appreciation for the chair. The first general question to commemorate as a member of the Diet. Cameras are pointed at him all at once.

However, only one veteran member in the last row applauded the beginning. A dry sound hit the large parliament. “Oh, this is it?” I was a little beaten.

It was Ryuji Nakajima (31) who stood in the speaking position.

It is a new member who was elected for the first time in April's unified local election, and Toyota City's first disabled member. Nakajima is born with no hearing at all.

A sign language interpreter sits in front of the seat and asks the city executives questions while talking about policies related to communication for people with disabilities.

The time given in the question is 40 minutes. Contrary to the atmosphere of the chamber, there were many citizens in the auditorium. There was a lot of interest in taking notes and sometimes listening to them with nodding.

“I was nervous, but I was relieved to see the people in the audience. But I wanted to sort out my thoughts a little more.”

Nakajima answered the reporter's question in sign language after completing the general question. I left 6 minutes of the scheduled question time. The self-scoring with a score of 100 out of 60 gave him a sense of fulfillment that he took a step as a member of parliament and regret that he couldn't fully convey his thoughts.

“Communication” To that end

One of Nakajima's strong demands is “enhanced communication”.

In response to Nakajima's election, the city council has introduced a board for writing talks and equipment that informs Nakajima of visitors to the waiting room for parliament by vibration.

However, Nakajima points out, “Although various improvements have been made, there is a problem in that the range that sign language interpreters can handle is limited.”

One of the activities of Congress is “inspection”. If a sign language interpreter is accompanied, the cost will be covered by public expenses (including government service expenses).
On the other hand, in private private activities such as personal inspections and street activities, the entire amount is self-pay. Because sign language interpreters are indispensable for their activities, there is a difference in burden with other lawmakers.

There are also technical challenges for sign language interpreters. In a parliament where unique technical terms and abbreviations fly, it is difficult to keep up with the exchanges, and sometimes it does not translate well.

Nakajima asks, “There are so many places to follow the story. If I want more interpreters and introduce a system that can recognize and transcribe speech,” he asks.

In fact, in September, Toyota City Council distributed tablets to all members of the parliament to make it paperless. However, it is not allowed to install apps that recognize and transcribe the sounds that Nakajima wants, or convert the characters into speech. The parliamentary secretariat states that “there is room for discussion”.

Even throughout the country

Cases that can be called “walls” of these environments exist throughout the country.

In late August, a national assembly of organizations made up of local assembly members with disabilities held in Tokyo. From the 30 attendees who gathered, the voices of anxious troubles were one after another.

“There is no elevator in the temporary hall of the city hall, and one person cannot go up to the second floor,” says a male city council for wheelchairs from Kumamoto Prefecture. It is said that four city officials carry wheelchairs.

A women's town council in Nagasaki Prefecture, who is also active in wheelchairs, complained that “there are low political support fees and no affairs for politics.

According to a questionnaire survey conducted by Mie University ’s assistant professor Sae Okura (politics) last year to 29 people with disabilities working in various parts of the country, about one-fourth was I ’m not very satisfied with the consideration. ”

Dr. Okura says, “It is not intentional discrimination and the awareness of people with disabilities is low. The Japanese parliament still has a low level of rights protection for people with disabilities.”

“Just a few meters” up to 15 years

Some legislators have spent a long time working to change the parliamentary environment.

Saitama City Councilman, Hiromi Denda (71).

At the age of four, Kamita, who has lived in a wheelchair since his limbs became crippled under the influence of Polio, is now a fifth season veteran. I visited the city council to see the usual activities.

"Thank you very much"

He skillfully operated the electric wheelchair operation bar with his right hand and greeted him with a smile. There is also plenty of room and dignity in the speed of running a wheelchair.

As soon as I decided to listen to the story, I started slowly climbing up one slope and sat down at a guided venue.

“It took 15 years to do this.”

15 years.

Beside me in response, her gaze was pointed at a slope that was only a few meters long.

In 2003, Tomita, who originally managed a cram school, jumped into the world of politics, thinking that there was something she could do for her hometown.

It was a new workplace that was filled with expectations, but it was a world full of “barriers”. Many steps that block the way to go, the door of the parliamentary waiting room that automatically returns even if it opens at last.

Mr. Hamada called for the introduction of a slope to move not only in his own seat but also in the parliament, and said that it took 15 years to gain understanding and understanding.

To the same “start line”

There are words that I still remember clearly in Iwata.

It was the first time I had a general question after winning. At that time, the Parliament Secretariat considered Kamata, and prepared a speech stand that moved the position up and down electrically.

However, Yaji stopped by a council member in response to the move toward barrier-free.

"It took money"

Although the position and rights are the same as a member of the Diet entrusted by the citizens, the situation is different for persons with disabilities. Assistance is also required, it costs a lot of money, and it takes time to move.

Iwata sue. “I don't stand on the same“ start line ”as the legislators of healthy people.

To be able to participate “normally”

“One person, regardless of disability. I want to be able to participate in politics as a person living in the same society.”

When you talk to a local council member with a disability, you can feel that feeling.

I asked by email to Nakajima, Toyota City Council, where I couldn't hear it.
“What is the significance of becoming a member of a parliament?”

Then, Nakajima returned, “It is natural that various people gather as representatives and discuss. The suffering of the parties can only be understood by the parties, so it is meaningful to claim”.

Furthermore, it continued like this.
“It's a strength that I can't hear my ears. Because I can't hear them, I have the power to work forward.”

I suddenly noticed an old newspaper article during the interview. It was a story that Kayoko Iribe, who served as a city council member in Toyonaka City in Osaka for four quarters, published his autobiography, although he needed cerebral palsy and needed care.

Iribe, who has been working on politics on his own, despite his disabilities. “I always went out and worked. There was an image of fighting against absurdity in the world,” recalls eldest son Masaya.

Iribe died at the age of 62 in 2013. Then 6 years. I think that the will of “I want to create an environment where people with disabilities can live in” is gradually expanding.

I asked Masaya about this.
“What does your mother think about this situation after the House of Councilors election?”

“It is now widespread that my mother has appealed for people with disabilities since then. Maybe they are happy?”

And he added: “Maybe I wanted you to accept the obvious.”

What is “barrier-free” in Congress?

Not everyone wants to do anything special, they just want the minimum necessary to work smoothly in Congress.

It has been a long time since the parliamentary system started, and for those with disabilities, parliamentary reform has just begun.

And even if it takes a long time, promoting the “barrier-free parliament” may be closer to creating a fair and fair forum for discussion.

9 months since I started interviewing the local assembly on the theme of people with disabilities and political participation. There is also a premonition that politics will become more interesting in the future.

I felt like I could hear the words “I ’m a good luck!

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Joined in 2010 after working as a reporter at the reporter Yoshiyuki District of the network report department. Maebashi station,
After working at the Kushiro station, assumed his current position in 2017. Responsible for Internet news.