Law for Supporting Independence of Persons with disabilities (2005)
Akira Terashima (Professor of Urawa University)
1. Problems of old system(1)Services for community according to the type of disability
Welfare services used to be provided according to the type of disability i.e. physical, intellectual ormental disability. It had been pointed out that the system of facilities and programs was complicated tounderstand and it was difficult to use these services.
(2) Difference of levels of services of municipal governments
There was a difference between cities, towns and villages at the level of services for persons.
(3) Increasing the budget of services for PWDs.
Income-based system has made it difficult for municipal governments to maintain the budget forservices for PWDs.
(4)PWDs can not work.
Many PWDs do not have jobs although they want to work.

2. Purpose of the Law for Supporting Persons with Developmental Disabilities
The Law for Supporting Persons with Developmental Disabilities came into effect in April 2005 toresolve the problems. The law has 5 purposes.
(1)Any kind of PWDs can utilize any kinds of services
In order to be enable persons with disabilities to use the necessary services regardless of the type of
their disabilities i.e. physical, intellectual or mental, the service system was unified and the facilities andprograms were accordingly rearranged.
(2)Municipal government unify the welfare services for PWDs
(3) appropriate burden of PWDs
Service-based system has been introduced principally with a expence reduction system.
(4)Support PWDs to get Job(5)Transparence of service delivery system

3. Services(1)Nationally common services
1) Supply System of Independent Living Support
Combination of daytime activity programs and nighttime living support programs. Services provided ininstitutions and facilities are divided into ‘day services (daytime activity programs)’ and ‘nighttimeservices (living support programs)’ and users can select and combine these services. When using theseprograms, an individual support plan for each user is formulated to provide appropriate services inaccordance with their purpose of use. For example, a person in a nursing home for persons with physicaldisabilities who needs constant care can select ‘life care’ program from daytime activity programs and‘support for living in a facility’ from nighttime living support programs. When persons with disabilities
move to live in a community, they can continue to use the ‘life care’ program during the day..

Provide comprehensive assistance to persons with severe physicaldisorders who need constant support in bathing, toileting and eating at
home and also in moving when they go out, etc

Activity support

Provide necessary support to avoid dangers when persons with a limited
ability to judge by themselves go out and engage in some activities

Guide help support

Going out with a person with profound visually impairment and provide
necessary information and accommodation. for mobilization

Comprehensive support
for persons with severe
disabilities etc

Provide several services comprehensively such as ‘home help (personalcare at home) to persons in great need of care

Short-stay

Provide support in bathing, toileting, eating for a short period including
during the night in case a carer at home is ill, etc.

Medical and nursing care

Nursing homes(physical)

Provide persons, who need medical treatment and constant care, withfunctional trainings, necessary control for their recuperation, nursing,care, and support in daily living activities at medical institutions

Care in Daily Life

Provide support to persons, who need constant care, in bathing,toileting, eating during the day and also provide opportunities forcreative activities and productive activities

Rehabilitation
facilities(physical,intellectual)

Nighttime care at
support facilities for
persons with disabilities(support for living in afacility)

Provide support to persons admitted to facilities in bathing, toileting,eating etc during the night and at weekends

Care homes

Provide support at collective homes in bathing, toileting, eating, etc.
during the night and at weekends

Training for independent
livingProvide necessary trainings for a certain period to improve physicalfunctions and social skills so that independent living and social life canbe leadAssistance for
employment

Provide persons who wish to work in a private company with necessary
trainings for a certain period to improve their knowledge and skills
necessary for employment

Assistance for continued
employment (type A = inthe form of employment,
type B = not employed)

Provide a workplace and necessary trainings to improve the knowledge
and skills to those who are difficult to work in private companies

Group homes

Provide consultation and support in daily living at collective homesduring the night and at weekends

Mobility support

Provide mobility support so that persons with disabilities can go out
without difficulties

Community activity
support center

Provides opportunities for creative activities and productive activities aswell as interaction with society

Welfare homes

Provide rooms to those who need housing for low price and also
necessary support in daily life

Services at home

Short-stay(physical,intellectual,children, mental)

Facilities forchildren withsevere physicaland intellectual
disabilities

Shelteredworkshops(physical,intellectual,mental)
Welfare factories(physical,intellectual,mental)
for a certain
Dormitories
workers(intellectual)forWelfare homes(physical,intellectual,mental)
Training facilities
for daily living(mental)

Care Benefit

Visiting care for persons
with severe disabilities

Day service(physical,intellectual,children, mental)

Training Benefit

Provide support at home in bathing, toileting, eating etc.

Group homes(intellectual,mental)

Services at facilities< New services >Home help(Personal care at home)

Community Life
Support Programs< Current Services >Home help(physical,intellectual,children, mental)

< Places for daytime activities >Select one or more programs from thebelow.
Medical and nursing care *< Living place >Life care
Training for independent living(function/daily living)Support for living in a facility
for persons with disabilities
andAssistance for employment
Assistance for continued
employment (type A = in the form ofemployment, type B = not employed)

orLiving support(Care home, group home, andwelfare home)

Community activity support center(Community life support programs)* Medical and nursing care is provided
to hospitalized patients in medical
institutions.

2) Independent Living Support Medical Care
Costs of medical treatments such as operation of children/persons with physical disabilities toreduce or recover from disabilities as well as medical costs of outpatients with psychiatric disabilities
are subsidized.
3) Adaptive Equipment Allowance
Costs to purchase adaptive equipment to compensate or substitute the lost body parts or
damaged body functions of children/persons with physical disabilities are subsidized. (prosthesis,orthosis, wheelchair, glasses, white cane for the blind, hearing aid, etc)

(2)Community Life Support Program(1) Programs at Municipal Level
Programs
Consultation support
programCommunication support
program

Program to supply
equipment for daily living

Contents
Consultation for persons with disabilities,
their guardians and carers, provision ofnecessary information and support toprotect rights of persons with disabilities,
and establishment of Independent Living
Support Council to build a consultation
support system and network in acommunity

Dispatch of sign language interpreters,
note takers, Braille translators, etc. inorder to intermediate the communication
with persons who have difficulty incommunicating due to hearing, speech,voice, visual impairments
Provision or rental of devices necessary ina daily life to support independent livingof persons with severe disabilities

Mobility support program

Provision of support to persons who havedifficulty in mobility when they go out

Community activity support

Provision of opportunities for creative
activities and productive activities topersons with disabilities in thecommunity and promotion of theirinteraction with society

centerOther programs

Programs necessary for independent dailyliving or social life, according to thejudgment of municipal government
Examples: welfare home program,
visiting bathing service program, daytime temporal support service, social
participation promotion program, etc.

(3)Programs at Prefectural Level
Programs
Highly professional
consultation supportprogram

Contents
Consultation and provision of necessary
information regarding disabilities which
requires highly professional knowledge
such as developmental disorders, higher
brain dysfunction, etc.

Wide-area support program

Programs which require supports beyond
the scope of municipalities, e.g. program
to promote and support persons withmental disabilities in leaving hospital

Other programs

Programs necessary for independent dailyliving or social life, according to thejudgment of prefectural government(including training program)

Examples: welfare home program,
information support program,comprehensive promotion program of IT
for persons with disability, social
participation promotion program, etc.
Training programs etc targeted for service
providers and instructors