Many schools in Japan still not accessible for wheelchair users This article explains the situation with accessibility at public elementary and junior high schools in Japan, looks at work being done on this at schools in Setagaya, Tokyo. It also tells the story of one student who uses a wheelchair, who had to go schools outside of his school district or that weren't his choice because the schools he wanted to go to didn't have wheelchair access. Asahi Shimbun, 11 Dec 2020.
Raising kids in Japan, with extra challenges: Foreign parents of children with physical or learning difficulties share their stories Parents explain about difficulties and discrimination as well as support and help experienced by their children, particularly in relation to education and finding schools that they can go to. Japan Times, 14 October 2018.
Disability awareness campaigner calls on Japan to accept inclusive classrooms This article tells the story of Takashi Ono, who has cerebral palsy, explaining his experiences at his neighborhood elementary and junior high schools which were positive and at a special high school for disabled studnts where he felt he had no chance to learn. It also explains his work now helping schools understand that children with special needs should be allowed to attend regular classes if they wish to do so. Japan Times, 4 Aug 2017.
Special-needs schools spring up to cope with soaring demand The article looks at the growing numbers of parents who want to send their children to special schools if the have disabilities, and the building of such schools to meet this demand. As background to this, it also explains the revision of the School Education Law in 2013 to promote “inclusive education”, a learning environment where children with disabilities can study alongside children without disabilities but also why many parents choose to send their children to 'special-needs schools' not regular schools. Asahi Shimbun, 24 Aug 2020.
Yokohama court scraps family suit for congenitally ill boy to attend regular school A court has rejected the case of an 8-year-old boy with a rare disease whose his parents asked that he be allowed to attend regular public elementary school, in Kawasaki. The article reports the court's opinion on 'inclusive education' in japan and also explains the opinions of the boy's lawyer that Japan is behind other countries on this. Mainichi, 19 Mar 2020.
Disabled Japanese man rejected from entering high school 27 times dies aged 21 A man with cerebral palsy who made 27 attempts in seven years to try and gain entry to a regular high school died in November at age 21 without being able to fulfill his dream. The article also explains he was able to go to regular elementary and junior high schools when he was younger. Mainichi, 30 Dec 2019.
Sex ed. for those with disabilities in Japan the focus in woman's trial over baby's death A woman with a mild intellectual disability on trial here for the charge of abandoning a dead baby that she gave birth to has brought into question how much sex education and support people with disabilities receive. The article discusses the need for people with disabilities to have sexual education, including about consent and child rearing, and to protect them from sex crimes, but that they often don't get this kind of education. Mainichi, 26 Aug 2020.
'Prison camps for Brazilians': Foreign kids in Japan being ushered into special education Many foreign children in Japan are being placed in special education against their wishes as they have trouble understanding Japanese. The article tells the stories of some of these students and their experiences in special-needs classes where they often don't learn much. Mainichi, 4 Sep 2019.
Special Needs Education In Japan: Support & Information Resources An article with information for parents, especially foreign parents in Japan, about the special-needs school system in Japan. It includes information on one school, Musashino Higashi Gakuen, that aims to help students with autism achieve full social integration. Savvy Tokyo, 1 Nov 2016.
Something's Strange: Inclusive Education in Japan A long blog post by Yoichi Sakakihara, M.D., Vice President, Ochanomizu University, and Director of the Child Research Net that compares inclusive education in Japan and some other countries and argues that "There is a clear difference between inclusive education in the United States and Canada, where education outside regular classes is allowed only as an exception, and Japan, where importance is placed on schools for special needs education..." Child Research Net, 22 Dec 2016.