2015/06/13
Participants: 28
The session began with an overview of how people with disabilities have been viewed in Japan.
The enactment of the Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act marked a major shift from the former administrative placement system, following the introduction of the support-cost system based on the principle of normalization.
The support-cost system had many shortcomings, which were addressed through improvements that led to the enactment of the Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act. Home-helper visits and in-home care are now provided based on this Act.
Disabilities include physical, intellectual, and mental disabilities, including developmental disabilities, and refer to conditions that continuously impose substantial limitations on a person's daily and social life. We often find it particularly challenging to support people with mental disabilities, so we studied mental illnesses.
We discussed ways to interact with people with mental disabilities, including treating them with respect as individuals, avoiding prejudice and ambiguous expressions, and communicating at eye level. The helpers said the session was useful because it gave them an opportunity to review and reaffirm what they already knew.