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August 19, 2008
Training Report : July 29, 2008 PM: Future Perspectives on Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Time flies and this afternoon was the last lecture in Japan !
The lecture was about the “Future Perspectives on Employment of Persons with Disabilities” given by Mr. Katsunori Fujii, Executive Director of Kyosaren (Japan Association of Community Workshop for Disabled Persons).
Those participants who went to see the film “A Piece of Your Home” on June 26 recognized his face.
Mr. Fujii gave explanation of the importance of to work and the relationship between work and disability. He talked about reasonable accommodation mentioned in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Then he told the participants that it already moved from the medical model to the social model, of which standpoint was also being applied to employment issues.
Mr. Fujii then gave his opinion on the future perspective in the field of employment of persons with disabilities. He explained the desirable direction by introducing the European case where the labor law and minimum wage were applied to sheltered workshops and community workshops, and the government or companies compensate some part of salary and provide human support for employees with disabilities.
At the end of his lecture, Mr. Fujii talked to the six participants about Mr. Ichiro Maruyama, founder of this training course and former course leader. He explained that in August 2007, Mr. Maruyama appealed to the International Labor Organization (ILO) that Japanese government was breaching the ILO Convention No. 159. It was the first case for the Japanese government to be sued internationally and it was also the first case for ILO to be appealed in regard to Convention No. 159 as an employment issue of persons with disabilities. The core of his appeal was that the labor law should be applied to the persons with severe disabilities who are working at sheltered workshops or small scale community workshops. Its judgment will be given soon.
Mr. Maruyama fought for persons with disabilities especially in the employment field until his last moments. Keep Mr. Mayuyama's ambition and his spirits in our heart, and let us strive for employment promotion of persons with disabilities in each respective country.
Mr. Maruyama's Acceptance Speech
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0729pm.html
Posted by jicafriends at August 19, 2008 10:25 PM