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October 17, 2011
The 34th Rehabilitation Conference on Sep 30 – Oct 1, 2011, Tokyo
The 34th Rehabilitation Conference took place in Tokyo over the period of two days on Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2011. The Conference takes place annually and is organized by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).
This year, with a theme of "Towards Redevelopment of Rehabilitation II," the Conference attracted some 300 participants, who enthusiastically exchanged information and opinions with one another over the two days.
On Day 1, two Keynote Speeches were delivered in the morning by Mr. J. Monsbakken, a President-elect of Rehabilitation International, and Prof. Ueda, a former vice-president of the JSRPD. First, Mr. Monsbakken introduced his organization and its works, as well as giving an overview on the Norwegian experience in rehabilitation. Second, Prof. Ueda discussed the concept of "rehabilitation" and its historical developments, and shared his thoughts on how it should be interpreted in present-day society. Rehabilitation, he said, is not only about regaining one's physical functions but also, and importantly, about retaining her dignity and respect as a human being.
In the afternoon, the Conference hosted a three-hour symposium, inviting five individual speakers including a politician, activists, a medical doctor and representatives of organizations of/for persons with disabilities. The discussion was coordinated by a member of Japan Disability Forum. It covered a wide range topics including the impact of Great East Japan Earthquake on those with disabilities, Japanese disability policies at the national and municipal levels and decent work for persons with disabilities.
On Day 2, the participants were divided into a number of groups, each of which focused on a particular topic to discuss. More specifically, the grand topics that were covered here are "Employment of Persons with Disabilities", "Children with Disabilities", "Rehabilitation and Engineering", "Roles of Rehabilitation Centers"and "Reflections on the Earthquake from Viewpoints of Rehabilitation".
The Conference was closed in the evening of October 1 with great success. Of note, Japan is currently drafting a new national legislation that is to replace the hitherto Law for Supporting Independence of Persons with Disabilities (Shogaisha Jiritsu Shien Ho). The country has also been recovering from the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake since last March. In this regard, the Conference provided Japanese people with a very timely opportunity to re- examine the concept of "rehabilitation". In addition, it importantly emphasized their international networks in the field of disability.
Secretariat of jicafriends
Posted by jicafriends at October 17, 2011 11:17 AM