Government plan to cut budget for disabled criticized and canceled

Powerful protests have forced the government to withdraw a budget cut plan for mentally retarded persons.

The Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry had announced a plan to cut funding by 20 percent in the FY 2004 budget for "group homes", residential facilities for persons with severe mental disabilities. In "group homes", mentally retarded persons 15 and older are living together with the support of staff.

On December 17, members of seven organizations, including the Japan Council on Disability (JD), made representations to the Welfare Ministry in opposition to the budget cut plan. In front of the ministry building, more than 250 "group home" residents and staff members staged a protest.

Group home staff members said to ministry officials, "It's already very hard to keep on running the facility. We will be forced to close it if the annual funding is cut by one million yen," thus persuading ministry officials into withdrawing the budget cut plan. (end)