In order to create an environment where people with intellectual disabilities can easily vote ahead of the second half of the unified local elections, a training was held in Komae City, Tokyo, where the municipal council elections will be held, to learn communication.
If you cannot write due to a disability, you can also vote using the "proxy voting" system, in which the polling station staff confirms who you will vote for and writes on your behalf.
However, the current situation is that voting for people with intellectual disabilities has not progressed sufficiently due to many issues such as how to grasp their intentions.
For this reason, in order to create an environment where it is easy to vote, two staff members who are in charge of responding to Komae City visited welfare workplaces in the city and learned how to communicate.
Among them, Mr. Tadokoro (2) of the Tax Division asked Shinji Kumagai (38), who has Down syndrome, who was bundling the wiring used for car parts, about the work procedure, but he could not communicate well.
However, a male staff member at the workshop advised him to ask about things like eating and hobbies, and when I asked him what he liked, Kumagai said, "I like baseball and professional wrestling."
After that, communication became smoother, and Mr. Tadokoro used gestures and talked with a smile when he didn't understand.
Mr. Tadokoro said, "I realized the importance of not just listening to what you want to ask, but first trying to adapt to the other person, and I want to make use of what I learned at the polling station."
Norito Tabei, general manager of Komae City, said, "Everyone has a right to vote, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, and we want to prepare for them to use it correctly."