The revised Act on Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities went into effect on April 1st, and private businesses will be required to provide reasonable accommodations in response to the requests of people with disabilities.In response, companies in Tokyo will On the 28th, a training session was held to learn how to interact with people with disabilities.
Training session to deepen understanding of “reasonable accommodation” Tokyo companies
The training was held at an IT-related company in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward that provides accounting software for companies, and approximately 40 people, including sales staff, participated.
The revised Act to Eliminate Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which will go into effect on April 1st, requires not only the national and local governments but also private businesses to provide reasonable accommodation when a person with a disability complains of a problem. You will be required to do so.
In the training, in order to deepen understanding of people with voice disorders, the participants experienced communication while wearing masks over their mouths and were unable to speak, and used software that read out aloud when they typed text into a computer. We tried to communicate.
Afterwards, we exchanged opinions on how to provide reasonable accommodations, including the idea that when a hearing-impaired person comes to a company's reception desk, information should be shared within the company and an employee who can speak sign language should be found to respond. was being served.
An employee in his 30s who participated
said, ``I think the information and support that people want differs from person to person, but I want to respond as much as possible using various tools.''
Masafumi Nakane, one of the employees who planned the training and is completely blind,
said, ``I don't think society as a whole will change rapidly due to the implementation of the revised law, but in the medium to long term it may lead to some results. I think this will be an opportunity for those involved to start thinking about this.”
The company plans to continue providing training in the future.
“Revised Act to Eliminate Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities” calls for “accommodation” within the scope of not being too burdensome
The Revised Act on Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities will come into effect on April 1st.
The most important point is that not only the national and local governments, but also private businesses are required to "provide reasonable accommodation" to people with disabilities.
According to the Cabinet Office, "provision of reasonable accommodation" refers to the provision of reasonable accommodation when a person with a disability requests the removal of a barrier to living a social life. It is supposed to take action.
For example, if there is a difference in level, use a slope to assist, or if the text is small and difficult to read when communicating in writing, write in large text.
These considerations are said to be made to the extent that the burden is not too heavy, and it is considered not a violation of the law for a restaurant that does not provide assistance with meals to refuse assistance when requested.
On the other hand, it is important to avoid refusing to respond uniformly without considering individual circumstances because there is no precedent, or refusing to respond based on vague risks such as ``what if something happens?''
In the event of repeated violations, the government may request a report or receive guidance or recommendations.
The Cabinet Office says that in order to remove social barriers, it is important for people with disabilities and business operators to have repeated dialogue and consider solutions together.
We have also set up a consultation desk for questions regarding the law and discrimination based on disability, which can be answered by phone or email.
Telephone consultation: 0120-262-701 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays)
Email consultation: info@mail.sabekai-tsunagu.go.jp
Awareness survey for people with disabilities: Sometimes people give up due to insufficient consideration
People with disabilities complain that "reasonable accommodation" is insufficient in various situations in their daily lives, but many people give up and do nothing even if they are given insufficient consideration.
Last year, a group made up of lawyers, academic experts, and private companies conducted an online survey of people with disabilities' awareness of ``reasonable accommodation,'' and 2,362 people responded.
When asked multiple answers about the situations in which they think reasonable accommodation is insufficient in their daily lives, the
most common answer was ``work or workplace'' at 40%,
▽ ``public transportation'' at 36%, and
▽ `` 29%
said
``When using services such as shopping or eating and drinking .''
In the free-text section, we received comments
such as ``I requested a written communication, but no one responded,'' and ``
I was refused the ability to pack my shopping bags.''
In addition, when asked about what to do when they feel that they are not being provided with "reasonable accommodation,"
the most common answer (31%) was "do nothing," while
many said
"I gave up because I didn't know who to contact."
That means there was.
A person in charge of the company that conducted the survey said, ``There are cases where people with disabilities do not know how to make their voices heard to business operators, and they post their complaints on social media, causing a stir. "People with disabilities can also have a rigid attitude. I think it is important to create a foundation for constructive dialogue, such as by providing contact points that are easy for people with disabilities to use."
Expert: ``Building consensus through dialogue to provide ordinary services to people with disabilities''
Regarding the requirement for private businesses to "provide reasonable accommodation" to people with disabilities, Associate Emeritus Professor Ishikawa of Shizuoka Prefectural University, who is familiar with policies for people with disabilities, says, The purpose of the law is to request adjustments and changes to be made so that disabled people can also access the services provided to them, and it does not require them to provide special services or treatment." I am.
Regarding the scope of reasonable accommodation, he gave an example of a restaurant, stating, ``Reasonable accommodations include having staff guide customers to the restroom if they are visually impaired, or allowing them to place orders in writing if they are hearing impaired.'' On the other hand, it is not appropriate to provide transportation from stores to homes.It is unthinkable that the scope of reasonable accommodation will expand indefinitely, so I hope business operators do not worry too much."
On top of that, ``Persons with disabilities should feel free to calmly tell others about their difficulties.Business operators should explain in an easy-to-understand manner what is possible and what is difficult to accommodate.Through this kind of dialogue, an agreement is built between both parties. It is important to eliminate barriers by doing so."