disabled

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

11,000 disabled criticize government bill

With tension increasing in the Diet over a bill to force the disabled to pay for services, about 11,000 disabled people and incurable disease patients as well as their family members from throughout Japan on July 5 held at a rally in Tokyo and marched in demonstration to the Diet to urge all parliamentarians of both chambers to not enact the bill that will hamper them from becoming independent.

At the rally, they adopted an appeal calling for their present living standards to be maintained without having to shoulder extra burdens and for all disabled people to be eligible for needed services.

This largest ever rally was held by disabled people's organizations, including the Japan Council on Disability, the Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples' International, and the Japan Impaired Diseases Patients Council (tentative).

Ota Shuhei, secretary general of the organizing committee, called for a thorough discussion of the bill, saying, "Basic questions such as income security of disabled people are left unsolved. The bill to force disabled people to shoulder heavier fees for services is likely to be approved."

Iehira Satoru of the Osaka Council of Physically Handicapped People's Organizations (tentative) said, "An increase in fees for services will destroy our livelihoods and deprive us of the right to be independent. The bill will force my unimpaired wife and baby boy to bear the burden of costs for my home help services."

Concerning the planned introduction of a 10-percent increase in cost for services, the government is arguing that people who are capable of paying should pay more, but the Japanese Communist Party is refuting this government's argument by saying, "The present system is sufficiently applicable. Despite being lower-income earners, severer disabled people will have to pay more for their needed services under the controversial plan, forcing some of them to give up receiving the services. The planned increase in fees for services denies the right to life, which is guaranteed in Article 25 of the Constitution." - Akahata, July 6, 2005