Disability Sports in Japan− Community Disability Sports and Recreation Activities −Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
2012 - 2014
“Project on Collaborative Sports/
Recreation Activities for People with and without Disabilities-Research on Community Disability Sports and Recreation Activities-”

Disability Sports in Japan-Community Disability Sports and Recreation ActivitiesFirst published 2016, by Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF)
ARK Mori Building., 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-6011, JapanTEL+81-3-5545-3303

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Copyright Ⓒ 2016 by Sasakawa Sports Foundation
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, orother means including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage, without permission from the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction should be emailed to info@ssf.or.jp.
The research project was commissioned by MEXT.
We greatly acknowledge the financial support from the Nippon Foundation.

Contents
Commentary

4

Research 1 Sports-Life Survey of People with Disabilities
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

7
911

Research 2 Sports for Students in Special Schools
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

31
33
34

Research 3	‌Sporting Opportunities for People with Disabilities in
Social Welfare Facilities
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

45
47
48

Research 4 Sports Facilities for People with Disabilities
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

57
59
60

Research 5 Disability Sports Instructors
I. Overview
II. Results (secondary analysis-1)
III. Results (secondary analysis-2)

69
71
72
73

Research 6 Disability Sports Administration in Local Governments
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

83
85
86

Research 7 National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities
I. Overview
II. Results

103
105
106

Research 8 Disability Sports Promotion within Comprehensive
Community Sports Clubs
I. Overview
II. Survey Results

111
113
114

Appendix 1		

121

Introduction
Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF) was established in March 1991.
Since the establishment, SSF has implemented a wide range of activities suchas survey research, grant programs, and international cultural exchange throughsports in order to promote the enjoyment of sports by "anyone, anytime,
anywhere".
Between 2012 and 2014, SSF was commissioned by Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan Sports Agency)
to conduct “Project on Collaborative Sports/Recreation Activities for People
with and without Disabilities -Research on Community Disability Sports andRecreation Activities-”. This is the English summary of the project reports
and the issues cover the latest data about sports participation, sports facilities,
special schools, and instructors for people with disabilities in Japan.
SSF will continue promoting the firm establishment of "Sport for
Everyone", a philosophy that aims to create a happier, healthier society, withthe ultimate goal of enriching the athletic lives of each individual and creating
an environment in which people can continue enjoying sports in their own
ways.
Lastly, this book would not have been possible without the contributions
and support of our advisory board. I would like to thank them and acknowledge
their outstanding work.
Kiyoko Ono
President, Sasakawa Sports Foundation
March, 2016

Report findings are based on the research projects conducted between 20122014 by Sasakawa Sports Foundation.

Acknowledgement
Sasakawa Sports Foundation expresses its sincere appreciation to thefollowing people who contributed to this report:

Advisory board (positions and titles as of March 2015)
Motoaki Fujita- Professor, Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Doshisha University
Wakaki Uchida- Lecturer, Faculty of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University
Kuniko Obinata- ‌Senior Consultant, Communication Design Division, Dentsu Public
Relations Inc.
Nobuyoshi Katohgi- Assistant Director, Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education
Nobuyuki Kokubo- ‌Manager, National Recreation Association of Japan
Yukinori Sawae- ‌Associate Professor, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Universityof Tsukuba
Hirohisa Takayama- ‌Regional Sports Promotion Section Chief, Tokyo Metropolitan Sports
Association for the Disabled
Sayaka Tomie- Sendai Recreation Association
Hideo Nakajima- ‌Secretary General, Shiga Prefecture Disability Independence Support
CouncilYoshiaki Mizuhara- ‌Director, Sports Promotion Department, Japanese Para-Sports Association
Kazutoshi Watanabe- Senior Executive Director, Sasakawa Sports Foundation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ■ 1

Executive summary
Sports-Life Survey of People with Disabilities
44.4% of disabled people engaged in sports/recreation in the past year
By disability type, “Physical disability” had the lowest percentage
of individuals who engaged in sports/recreation at around 30%, while thedisabilities that had the highest percentages were “Developmental disability”,“Hearing impairment”, and “Intellectual disability”.

Sports for Students in Special Schools
About 60% of schools provide the opportunities for students with “sports
club and other club activities (year-round activities)”
When viewed by disability type, school for “Hearing impairment” hada participation percentage of 90.5% and school for “Visual impairment” had apercentage of 80.4% in sports club activities.

Sporting Opportunities for People with Disabilities in
Social Welfare Facilities
About 80% of facilities participated in external sports/recreationcompetitions
The most common type of competition was “Disability sports games
such as the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities and its
prefectural qualifying matches” (54.0%) followed by “Sports carnivals andsports/recreation competitions held by municipal governments for people withdisabilities”.

2 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANSports Facilities for People with Disabilities
There are 114 disability sports facilities throughout Japan as of 2013
There are 114 sports facilities that allow people with disabilities to haveexclusive or priority access (disability sports facilities) throughout Japan. Mostof facilities had been established before 1990.

Disability Sports Instructors
21,924 para-sports instructors as of 2011
21,924 para-sports instructors are registered under Japanese Para-Sports
Association (JPSA) (85% beginners, 10% intermediate, 3% advanced) and thenumber of instructors has been steady for the past 10 years.

Disability Sports Administration in Local Governments“Social welfare departments or departments related to the welfare of
persons with disabilities” accounted for nearly all of the departments whichtake primary charge of disability sports
With prefectures, 45 prefectures had “Social welfare departments or
departments related to the welfare of persons with disabilities” taking primarycharge of disability sports, and other 2 prefectures were “Sports departments ofexecutive offices” taking a primary charge. For municipalities, “Social welfare
departments or departments related to the welfare of persons with disabilities”(66.7%) was the most common type of department which takes primary chargeof disability sports, followed by “Sports departments of boards of education”(16.7%).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ■ 3

Disability Sports Promotion within Comprehensive
Community Sports Clubs
About 40% of clubs had former or current participation of people withdisabilities
Clubs with disabled members seem to have more resources in terms ofthe number of members, budget, and full-time managers and staff compared tothe clubs without disabled members.

4 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Commentary
Organizations and facilities related to the promotion of community
sports for people with disabilities
Two groups of organizations which play an essential role in promoting
disability sports in communities are the “prefectural sports association
council for people with an impairment” and the “prefectural sports instructors
council for people with an impairment”. By coordinating with the prefectural
departments in charge of disability sports, these organizations engage in avariety of activities throughout Japan.
1. Prefectural sports association council for people with an impairment(In this report, the term “disability sports association” is used concurrently)
Of the 47 Japanese prefectures, 44 have established associations. First
formed in 1952 in Aichi Prefecture, these associations were established in alarge number of prefectures starting in the late 1980s. This occurred in thecontext of several events: the founding of the “Liaison Council for Physical
Disability Sports Associations” in 1990; the 1998 Nagano Paralympics creating
an opportunity for the first integration of sports promotion associations for all
three types of disabilities (physical, intellectual, and mental health); and theformation of the Japanese Paralympic Committee within the Japanese ParaSports Association in 1999. Their primary work involves (1) holding qualifying
matches for the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities as well
as sending athletes to that event and (2) developing para-sports instructors
certified by the Japanese Para-Sports Association.
Note: ‌Some prefectures do not use the name “sports association council for people with an impairment” buthave organizations that are members of the Liaison Council for Disability Sports Associations. These
organizations essentially function as prefectural associations, so they have been counted as “sports
association council for people with an impairment”.

COMMENTARY ■ 5

2. Prefectural sports instructors council for people with an impairment
All 47 prefectures in Japan have established instructors council for
those para-sports instructors certified by the Japanese Para-Sports Association.
First formed in 1986 in Hokkaido, these councils were established in alarge number of prefectures starting in the late 1990s. In 1994, councils
were created for eight blocks throughout Japan; the following year saw theformation of a Physical Disability Sports Instructors Representative Council
as an organization for communication and coordination between those blocks.
Sports instructors council for people with an impairment subsequently spreadto all prefectures. Their primary work involves (1) holding and assisting withdisability sports competitions and (2) holding workshops and classes for
improving the skills of their members.
3. Sports facilities for people with disabilities
Prefectures and some municipalities have established sports facilities
for exclusive or priority use by people with disabilities. Bearing names suchas “disability sports center”, “welfare center for persons with disabilities”,
and “gymnasium for workers with physical disabilities”, these facilities aredesigned and equipped for use by people with disabilities and are staffed withspecialist instructors.

6 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANDisability Sports Promotional System[Prefecture (ordinance-designated city)]

Prefectural Disability
Concerned Organizations
Prefectural Council ofSocial Welfare Associations⑪⑫

Sports Promotion
Department⑬

Disability Welfare
Department① ② ③ ④⑤⑥ ⑧ ⑨⑩
Prefectural
Sportsp
Associations
Council for People
with an impairment
Sports Instructors
Council for People
with an Impairment

Organizations

Instructors⑪⑫
Sports Promotion
Department⑬

Disability Welfare
Department(①)② ③ (⑥) (⑦)(⑧)

Loca
al

Municipal
Sports
Associations

(①)
②
③
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩

Municipal
Council ofSocial Welfare
Associations
Sports Instructors
Council for
People with an
Impairment

Municipal
Disability
Concerned
Organizations

Publicc Sports Facilitie
esSports Pro
omotionCommittee

Comprehens
sive Club[Municipality]

Special Sch
hools

Organizations

Disability Sports
S
Facilities

Preffectural

Prefectural
Sports
Associations

Municipal Sports
Associations
Council for People
with an impairment

Organizations
Oi ti

Instructors

Organizations■ Projects Related to Disability Sports(primary organizations are displayed in the diagram)① Disability sports competitions② Disability sports/recreation sports carnivals (eg.,community sports carnivals)③ Disability sports/recreation classes④ Qualifying matches for the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities⑤ Sending athletes to the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities⑥ Development of disability sports instructor⑦ Management/Operation of disability sports facilities⑧ Dispatching disability sports instructors⑨ Disability sports outreach classes⑩ Lending disability sports equipment⑪ Formulating a sports promotion plan
⑫ ‌Formulating government plans for: People with Disabilities and welfare of Persons with
Disabilities⑬ Liaison meetings between departments

Research

1

Sports-Life Survey of People with
Disabilities

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 9

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of participation ofpeople with disabilities in sports, and to provide an evidence-based data to thegovernment and relevant sectors for future policy development.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Online survey(2) Questions
・ Respondents attributes (disability types, possession of disabled ID card)
・ Engagement in sports/recreation (activities, frequency, purpose)・ Barriers to engage in sports/recreation(3) Sample
Clients registered as internet monitors under one of the researchcompanies in Japan and those who meet the following criteria;
・ Have a disability or live with a person with a disability
・ The person with a disability is at the age of 7 or older
There were 4,268 clients who responded. The following tables (Tables
1-1, 1-2, 1-3) are the respondents’ attributes. If more than two people withdisabilities are present, we asked them to answer the age of the oldest person.
As a result, a total number of people with disabilities (themselves or otherperson with a disability in the family) was 5,381.
Table 1-1 Living region
RegionHokkaido region(N=4,268)%
6.1

Tohoku region

5.8

Kanto region

33.9

Chubu region

19.4

Kinki region

19.0

Chugoku region

5.6

Shikoku region

2.6

Kyushu region

7.6

10 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN
Table 1-2 Age(N=4,268)

Age%

Under 19

0.4

20s

6.7

30s

18.7

40s

32.9

50 〜 6435.1

65 〜 74

5.2

75+

1.0

Table 1-3 Gender(N=4,268)

Gender

%

Male

57.2

Female42.8(4) Timeframe
November 1, 2013 – November 15, 2013

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 11

II. Survey Results
1. Respondents attributes(1) The individual or a family member living together
As for whether or not the individual or a family member living together
is a person with a disability, the most common response was “Myself” (44.2%)
followed by “Spouse” (21.1%) and “A child (the oldest child)” (17.9%) (Figure
1-1).

Figure 1-1 Child or adult with a disability (multiple responses)
The following report describes the results of 5,381 disabled respondents and family
members with disabilities.

(2) Age
The age breakdown was: 7–19 years old = 13.2%; 20–64 years old =68.3%; and 65+ years old = 18.6% (Figure 1-2). Population statistics from the
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (October 1, 2012) show theage breakdown to be 7–19 years old = 11.9%, 20–64 years old = 58.1%, and65+ years old = 24.1%. The age distribution of people/children with disabilities
who responded to this survey was thus found to contain a somewhat higher
proportion of working age individuals than was seen in the national populationdata.

12 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Figure 1-2 Age(3) Gender
Regarding gender, among respondents there were more men (56.6%)
than women (43.4%) (Figure 1-3).

Figure 1-3 Gender(4) Disability types
The most common disability type was “Physical disability”, accounting
for one-third of respondents (11.7% of those individuals require a wheelchairfor daily life and 23.5% do not), followed by “Mental health issues” (24.4%),“Intellectual disability” (12.9%), and “Developmental disability” (11.6%)(Figure 1-4). According to the Cabinet Office’s “People with disabilities
white paper” (2013), there are 3,663,000 physically-disabled children andadults in Japan (2.9% of the total population), 547,000 intellectually-disabledchildren and adults (0.4% of the total population), and 3,201,000 children andadults with mental health issues (2.5% of the total population). In this survey,
physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities had the highest frequencies ofappearance.
When viewing cases involving multiple disabilities according todisability type, the most common was “Speech or chewing impairment” with
69.6%, demonstrating a high percentage of multiple disabilities compared toother disability types such as “Intellectual disability” or “Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)” (Figure 1-5).

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 13

Figure 1-4  Type of disability (multiple responses)

Figure 1-5 Ratio of single/multiple disabilities

Note: ‌“requiring wheelchair / not requiring wheelchair” refers to whether or not a wheelchair isnecessary for daily life.

14 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(5) Possession of disabled ID cards
When asked whether or not they were in possession of a disabled ID
card, 36.3% responded “I don’t have a disabled ID card”. Among individuals
who have a disabled ID card, “Class-1 physical disability ID card” was themost common (13.4%) followed by “Class-2 physical disability ID card” (8.9%)
and “Class-2 mental disability health and welfare ID card” (8.2%) (Figure 1-6).
With physical disability ID cards, there was a tendency for the percentage ofpossession to increase as class level increased.
The results for disabled ID card possession by disability type tells usthat some people have multiple disabled ID cards (Table 1-4). This result
provides further evidence to support the high number of individuals withmultiple disabilities in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-6 Possession of a disabled ID card
(multiple responses)

Note: please see Appendix 1 for determining the level of disability for each ID card

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 15
Table 1-4 Possession of a disabled ID card (by disability type)(%)

Other (including an internal disability
or a speech or chewing impairment)

Mental health issues

Developmental disability

Intellectual disability

Hearing impairment

Visual impairment

Physical disability(not requiring wheelchair)

Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)

N = 630 N = 1,263 N = 474 N = 505 N = 694 N = 623 N = 1,313 N = 992
Class-1 physical disability ID card

41.1

8.6

17.1

10.5

13.8

3.7

2.7

38.8

Class-2 physical disability ID card

18.3

13.3

14.6

15.0

6.1

2.4

3.5

9.1

Class-3 physical disability ID card

7.0

13.3

7.8

8.1

2.9

2.6

3.1

12.1

Class-4 physical disability ID card

5.7

10.8

4.9

5.1

2.2

0.5

1.0

8.6

Class-5 physical disability ID card

3.7

7.0

5.3

3.8

1.0

0.8

0.6

2.1

Class-6 physical disability ID card

0.8

3.7

2.7

10.5

1.2

0.5

1.2

1.2

Class-7 physical disability ID card

0.8

1.4

1.7

3.8

0.6

0.6

0.7

0.5

Ⓐ or A (most severe or severe)
special needs ID card

7.3

2.1

2.5

2.2

31.4

10.6

1.2

3.6

B or C (moderate or light) special
needs ID card

0.8

1.1

0.8

2.4

30.7

20.2

2.1

2.2

Other special needs ID card

0.2

0.1

1.1

0.2

1.3

1.3

0.5

0.2

Class-1 mental health and welfare
ID card

1.9

0.7

0.4

1.0

3.0

0.6

4.3

0.4

Class-2 mental health and welfare
ID card

1.3

0.7

1.1

1.6

2.9

7.2

30.2

1.4

Class-3 mental health and welfare
ID card

0.8

0.8

0.8

1.0

1.3

6.3

19.0

0.8

I don't have a disabled ID card

20.2

40.1

44.7

40.2

15.0

47.4

34.1

24.7

Note 1: ‌“requiring wheelchair / not requiring wheelchair” refers to whether or not a wheelchair is necessary
for daily life.
Note 2: Samples include all applicable disability types in cases of multiple disabilities.

16 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(6) Age at which the disability occurred
Regarding the age at which the disability occurred, the prenatal/birth
periods and the pre-elementary-school period accounted for about 30% overall,with “0 years” at 18.0% and “1–6 years old” at 12.2% (Figure 1-7). Also, thepercentage of individuals who acquired their disabilities after the age of 40
exceeded 30%, revealing that disabilities occur at different ages.

Figure 1-7 Age at which the disability occurred

Note: ‌When multiple disabilities are present, responses are for the age at which the firstdisability occurred.

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 17
2. Engagement in sports/recreation(1) Engagement in sports/recreation in the past year
When asked whether or not the individuals engaged in sports/recreationin the past year, 44.4% responded “Yes” (Figure 1-8). According to Sasakawa
Sports Foundation’s “National Sports-Life Survey” (2012), the percentage ofadults who engage in exercise or sports at least once a year is 74.4%, which ishigher than that of people/children with disabilities who engage in sports.

Figure 1-8  Engagement in sports/recreation in the past year
When viewed according to disability type, “Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)” (29.4%) and “Physical disability (not requiring
wheelchair)” (36.4%) had the lowest proportions of individuals who engaged
in sports/recreation, while the disabilities with the highest percentage were“Developmental disability” (58.9%), “Hearing impairment” (53.9%), and“Intellectual disability” (51.3%) (Figure 1-9).

Figure 1-9 Engagement in sports/recreation in the past year(by disability type)
Note: ‌“requiring wheelchair / not requiring wheelchair” refers to whether or not a wheelchair isnecessary for daily life.

18 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(2) Number of days engaged in sports/recreation in the past year
For the 7–19 age group, 30% of individuals engaged in sports/recreation
at least one day a week, with “Over three days a week” totaling 10.0% and“One or two days a week” at 20.7%; the highest percentage was “Not doing
sports/recreation” at 38.6%. The proportion of individuals in the 20+ age group
who engaged in sports/recreation at least one day a week did not reach 20%,with approximately 60% responding “Not doing sports/recreation” (Figure1-10). The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology(MEXT)’s “Sports and Physical Fitness Poll” (January 2013) which targeted
adults throughout Japan showed that around half (47.5%) of adults engage insports at least one day a week, which means that there is a trend of lower sports
participation among people with disabilities.

Figure 1-10
Number of days engaged in sports/recreation in the past year
Note: ‌MEXT’s “Sports and Physical Fitness Poll” (January 2013) targeted Japanese nationals over
the age of 20 from throughout Japan.

When viewed according to disability type, 7–19 year olds with a“Hearing impairment”, “Intellectual disability”, or “Developmental disability”
had the highest number of days on which they engaged in sports (Table 1-5).

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 19
Table 1-5 Number of days engaged in sports/recreation in the past year(by disability type and age group)(%)

Mental health issues
Other (including aninternal disability ora speech or chewing
impairment)

7–19 years old[N = 76]
20+ years old[N = 1237]
7–19 years old[N = 80]
20+ years old[N = 912]

Sports and Physical Fitness Poll
(January 2013) [N = 1,897]

Don't know

Developmental
disability

Did not participate

Intellectual disability

One to three days a year

Hearing impairment

One or two days every 3months (4–11 days a year)

Visual impairment

One to three days a month(12–50 days a year)

Physical disability(not requiring
wheelchair)

One or two days a week
(51–150 days a year)

Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)

7–19 years old[N = 710]
20+ years old[N = 4,671]
7–19 years old[N = 58]
20+ years old[N = 572]
7–19 years old[N = 78]
20+ years old[N = 1185]
7–19 years old[N = 38]
20+ years old[N = 436]
7–19 years old[N = 60]
20+ years old[N = 445]
7–19 years old[N = 224]
20+ years old[N = 470]
7–19 years old[N = 335]
20+ years old[N = 288]

Over three days a week
(over 151 days a year)

Overall

10.0

20.7

14.1

4.1

6.3

38.6

6.2

8.5

9.7

8.9

4.1

5.0

58.2

5.5

3.4

8.6

19.0

1.7

5.2

55.2

6.9

6.1

5.9

4.9

3.7

3.8

72.2

3.3

3.8

15.4

7.7

1.3

0.0

64.1

7.7

7.0

9.4

7.3

3.1

4.3

63.5

5.4

7.9

13.2

15.8

2.6

5.3

39.5

15.8

8.5

10.3

7.6

5.3

5.7

58.5

4.1

15.0

18.3

21.7

5.0

3.3

31.7

5.0

9.0

13.5

11.0

6.5

5.6

48.1

6.3

9.4

25.4

14.3

5.4

6.3

34.4

4.9

5.7

8.7

12.8

2.1

8.1

55.5

7.0

11.3

25.7

13.7

5.1

9.3

31.0

3.9

9.0

10.1

10.4

4.5

5.6

52.8

7.6

7.9

9.2

7.9

7.9

5.3

53.9

7.9

9.8

9.3

9.6

3.8

4.4

56.8

6.2

5.0

17.5

17.5

3.8

6.3

42.5

7.5

8.8

9.3

8.1

3.2

4.4

62.4

3.8

24.4

23.1

18.3

8.1

5.8

19.1

1.1

Note 1: ‌“requiring wheelchair / not requiring wheelchair” refers to whether or not a wheelchair is necessary
for daily life.
Note 2: ‌MEXT’s “Sports and Physical Fitness Poll” (January 2013) targeted Japanese adults over the age of20.

20 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANThe items in sections (3) through (5) below were implemented in a survey targeting
2,390 individuals who engaged in some sort of sports/recreation in the past year.

(3) Sport/activity participated in over the past year
For the types of sport/activity engaged in by people who responded “Yes”
for sports participation in the past year, we consolidated the ranking of eachactivity by disability type along with the average number of activities each
person engaged in. Overall and among adults (20+), light sports/recreation
activities such as “Strolling”, “Walking”, and “Calisthenics (light calisthenics,
radio calisthenics, etc.)” were the most common (Table 1-6, Table 1-8). In
addition to these activities, “Swimming” also had a high participation rate
among the 7–19 age group, occupying the top rank for “Physical disability (notrequiring wheelchair)”, “Hearing impairment”, “Intellectual disability”, and“Developmental disability” (Table 1-7).
The average number of activities each person engaged in varied
according to disability type. Overall, “Developmental disability” had thehighest number of activities at 3.1 activities, with “Physical disability (requiring
wheelchair)” totaling 1.5 activities, which is less than half of “Developmental
disability” (Table 1-6).

Note:“requiring wheelchair / not requiring wheelchair” refers to whether or not a wheelchair is necessary for daily life.

(%)

Table 1-6 Sport/activity participated in in the past year (by disability type; overall, N=2,390) (multiple responses)

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 21

Note : Sasakawa Sports Foundation’s “National Sports-Life Survey of Young People” (2012) was a nationwide survey targeting individuals 10–19 years of age.

(%)

Table 1-7 Sport/activity participated in in the past year (by disability type; 7–19 age group, N=436) (multiple responses)

22 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(%)

Table 1-8 Sport/activity participated in in the past year (by disability type; 20+ age group, N=1,954) (multiple responses)

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 23

24 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Column. Efforts of the Japan Swimming Club Association
The Japan Swimming Club Association (JSCA) periodicallytallies the programs offered by affiliated clubs. As of December
2013, about 200 of its 1,060 affiliated clubs have implemented
programs aimed at people with disabilities (Table 1-9). Although
they didn’t offer programs specifically intended people withdisabilities, some clubs accepted them into programs such as
instructor-less free courses, with a focus on people with lightintellectual disabilities. Presently, people with disabilities areprojected to be participating in an even greater number ofswimming clubs.
Table 1-9 Number of clubs registered with the JSCA

(N = 1,060)

Support Category

Number of clubs

%

108

10.2

People with intellectual disabilities

80

7.5

People with physical disabilities

6

0.6

Total

194

18.3

People with disabilities(disability types not speciﬁed)

Since 2010, the JSCA has held swimming workshops
throughout Japan for people with intellectual disabilities. In
addition to making an effort to train instructors and increase
the number of clubs that accept people with disabilities, theassociation has been proactive in promoting swimming amongpeople with disabilities through avenues such as the JSCA
National Swimming Competition for People with Intellectual
Disabilities, which is first held in 2011.

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 25(4) Main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation
Regarding the main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation, the mostcommon response was “To improve or promote health” (36.6%) followed by “Tochange my mood or reduce stress” (23.8%) and “To have fun” (11.1%) (Figure1-11). The most common responses in MEXT’s “Sports and Physical Fitness
Poll” (January 2013) were “To build health and physical fitness” and “To have funor relax”, showing a similar trend as the results of this survey. Some distinction
was observed according to disability type, with “As a part of rehabilitation”
responses being the most numerous for physical disabilities (Table 1-10).

Figure 1-11 Main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation
Table 1-10  Main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation(by disability type)

36.7
16.5
11.0
6.8
0.4
3.0
22.8
2.1
0.8

38.0
23.9
10.9
8.7
0.0
6.5
7.6
3.3
1.1

36.4
29.1
15.5
7.3
0.0
6.4
1.8
3.6
0.0

30.8
15.4
15.4
0.0
7.7
7.7
7.7
15.4
0.0

Other (including an internal disability
or a speech or chewing impairment)

26.2
13.1
18.0
8.2
3.3
4.9
21.3
4.9
0.0

Mental health issues

N = 61 N = 273 N = 92 N = 110 N = 13

Developmental
disability

Intellectual disability

Hearing impairment

Visual impairment

Physical disability(not requiring wheelchair)

Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)
To improve or promote health
To change my mood or reduce stress
To have fun
To interact with friends or family
To interact with able-bodied
To improve or maintain my body shape
As a part of rehabilitation
To challenge a record or benchmark
Other

(%)

N = 46 N = 322 N = 186
45.7
26.1
4.3
6.5
0.0
4.3
8.7
4.3
0.0

34.2
30.7
8.1
5.6
1.2
9.0
8.4
1.6
1.2

39.2
21.0
11.8
6.5
1.1
3.8
14.0
1.1
1.6

26 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(5) Companions when engaging in sports/recreation
Regarding the companions when engaging in sports/recreation, the mostcommon response was “Alone” (40.3%) followed by “Family” (39.0%) and“Friends” (20.8%) (Figure 1-12). “Intellectual disability” and “Developmental
disability” had a higher percentage of individuals engaging in sports/recreation
together with “Family” or “School faculty members” than other disability types.
“Physical disability (requiring wheelchair)” and “Intellectual disability” had thehighest percentages of individuals who participated together with “Staff members
of welfare/medical facility staff” (Table 1-11).

Figure 1-12 Companions when engaging in sports/recreation(multiple responses)
Table 1-11 Companions when engaging in sports/recreation(%)(by disability type)
Other (including an internal disability
or a speech or chewing impairment)

Mental health issues

Developmental
disability

Intellectual disability

Hearing impairment

Visual impairment

Physical disability(not requiring wheelchair)

Physical disability(requiring wheelchair)
Alone
FamilyFriends
Colleagues at work or companionsfrom medical facilities or schools
Fellow members of sports clubs or circles
Staff members of welfare/medical facility
School faculty members
Volunteers or carers
Other

N = 185 N = 460 N = 204 N = 272 N = 356 N = 367 N = 569 N = 389
20.0
37.8
14.6

50.0
35.2
22.2

11.4

5.9

14.6
25.4
6.5
9.7
1.1

8.5
7.2
2.8
3.5
1.1

43.1
34.8
24.0

36.4
39.0
29.0

14.6
50.6
15.2

24.3
49.0
20.4

56.1
34.8
14.2

9.3

7.7

10.8
10.3
3.9
4.4
1.0

15.1
6.6
6.3
3.7
0.7

44.5
40.6
23.9

19.1

11.4

8.1

7.5

10.7
28.7
14.6
14.3
0.8

15.3
12.0
20.2
7.6
1.1

8.1
7.9
2.8
2.8
1.1

12.6
7.5
4.1
3.1
1.3

SPORTS-LIFE ■ 27
(6) Current level of participation in sports/recreation
When asked about the current level of participation in sports/recreation,
the most common response was “I don’t have any particular interest in sports/
recreation” (48.7%) followed by “I want to participate in sports/recreation but
I can’t” (22.4%) (Figure 1-13). Compared to Sasakawa Sports Foundation’s“National Sports-Life Survey” (2012), a greater proportion of people showed
indifference by answering “I don’t have any particular interest in sports/
recreation”.
Although this indifferent group contained many individuals who did not
engage in sports/recreation, it also included some people who did participate
in the past year (Figure 1-14). On the other hand, a total of 26.0% of people
who did not engage in sports or recreation responded “I want to participate insports/recreation but I can’t”, indicating that there are also some underlying
needs with regard to sports and recreation.

Figure 1-13  Current level of participation in sports/recreation

28 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Figure 1-14 Current level of participation in sports/recreation(by engagement)
When viewed according to disability type, the percentage of “I wantto participate in sports/recreation but I can’t” responses was relatively low
for “Intellectual disability” compared to the other disability types, while
the percentage of “I don’t have any particular interest in sports/recreation”
responses was high (Figure 1-15).

Figure 1-15 Current level of participation in sports/recreation(by disability type)SPORTS-LIFE ■ 29
(7) Barriers to engaging in sports/recreation
Regarding barriers to engaging in sports/recreation, 33.1% of individuals
responded “None in particular”. Among those who responded that there arebarriers, the most common response was “I don’t have energy” (26.7%)
followed by “My budget doesn’t allow it” (25.9%) and “I don’t have time”(14.5%) (Figure 1-16).
When viewed according to disability type, “Physical disability (requiring
wheelchair)” had higher percentages of “I don’t have transportation or a way to
travel”, “There isn’t anywhere that I can participate in sports/recreation” and “Itputs a heavy burden on my family” than other disability types (Table 1-12).

Figure 1-16 Barriers to engaging in sports/recreation(multiple responses)

Table 1-12 Barriers to engaging in sports/recreation (by disability type)(%)

30 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANResearch

2

Sports for Students in Special Schools

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 33

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations of sports
and recreation opportunities for students with disabilities in 1,211 special
schools in Japan, and to provide an evidence-based data to the government andrelevant sectors for future policy development.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Written Questionnaire - Responded via mail, FAX, or E-mail(2) Questions
・ Attributes of targeted and responding schools (number of students etc)
・ Opportunities for sports outside of physical education
・ School sports clubs (implemented activities)
・ Facilities for exercise/sports activities(3) Sample
A written questionnaire was sent to 1,211 schools (including branchschools and branch classrooms) listed on “A list of Special Schools (2012)” (asof May 2012). A total of 909 schools responded (the response rate was 75.1%).
(4) Timeframe
September 12, 2013 – November 20, 201334 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Survey Results
1. Special schools(1) Attributes of targeted schools
As for the breakdown of targeted schools, schools which handle asingle disability (single-disability schools) made up 81.9%, while schools
which handle multiple disabilities (multiple-disability schools) comprised
18.1% (Figure 2-1). Regarding disability type, “Intellectual disability(single)” was the most common at 47.7%. The next most common types were“Physical disability (single)” at 12.4% and “Intellectual disability + physicaldisability (multiple)” at 11.5% (Figure 2-2). As for school configuration,“Main campus” accounted for about 80%, with “Branch school” and “Branchclassroom” making up roughly one-tenth each (9.2% and 11.5% respectively)(Figure 2-3).

Figure 2-1 Targeted schools (by single/multiple disabilities)

Figure 2-2 Targeted schools (by disability types)

Figure 2-3 Targeted schools (by school types)

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 35
(2) Attributes of responding schools
Regarding the responding schools, “Intellectual disability (single)”
was the most common at 48.5% followed by “Physical disability (single)”
at 11.3%. For multiple-disability schools, “Intellectual disability + physicaldisability (multiple)” totaled 10.9%, indicating a similar composition as that of
the targeted schools (Figure 2-4).

Figure 2-4 Responding schools (by disability types)(3) Number of children/students
As of May 1, 2013, the most common total number of children/students
was “100–199” at 27.6% of schools, followed by “50–99” (25.9%) and “11–49”(25.5%); schools with less than 100 students thus made up the majority (Figure
2-5).

Figure 2-5 Number of children/students

36 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN2. Opportunities for sports outside of physical education
As for activities (including extracurricular activities) outside of normal
physical education, the most common response was “School sports carnivals/
festivals, marathon races, etc.” (90.2%) followed by “School sports club andother club activities (year-round activities)” (60.8%) and “Participation in
the sports competitions of prefectural disability sports associations or otherorganizations” (56.4%) (Figure 2-6). Compared to participation in schoolbased activities, there isn’t much interaction taking place through sports in thecommunity.

Figure 2-6 Opportunities for sports outside of physical education(multiple responses)

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 37
When viewing the sports opportunities outside of normal physicaleducation according to disability type, over 90% of all types participated in“School sports carnivals/festivals, marathon races, etc.” with the exception of“Physical disability (single)” and “Hospital school (single)” (Table 2-1). Also,
over 60% of all disability types participated in “Sports club and other club
activities (year-round activities)” with the exception of “Physical disability(single)” and “Hospital school (single)”; in particular, “Hearing impairment(single)” had a high participation percentage at 90.5% and “Visual impairment(single)” at 80.4%.
Table 2-1 Opportunities for sports outside of physical education(by disability type)(%)

Physical disability(single)Hospital school (single)

Intellectual disability +physical disability (multiple)

Other multiple disability(multiple)

N = 56

N = 74 N = 439 N = 95

N = 54

N = 98N = 60

80.4

90.5

61.0

29.5

29.6

70.4

66.7

1.8

0.0

1.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

1.7

96.4

95.9

93.2

77.9

66.7

91.8

93.3

37.5

39.2

56.3

51.6

18.5

53.1

43.3

67.9

29.7

48.1

43.2

14.8

68.4

53.3

7.1

6.8

14.4

14.7

37.0

11.2

6.7

Intellectual disability(single)Hearing impairment(single)On campus

Visual impairment(single)School sports club and other club
activities(year-round activities; excludes
choice #2 below)
Participation in school sports club
activities in the same location as
middle/high school students withno disabilities(year-round activities; excludes
irregular activities)

School sports carnivals/festivals,
marathon races, etc.
Pool instruction during summer
vacation(hosted by the school or the PTA)
Limited-time practices for the
sports competitions of prefectural
disability sports associations orother organizations(excluding club activities)

Other on-campus activities

38 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN3. School sports clubs(1) Implemented activities
Regarding the activities implemented within school sports clubs, themost common activities for junior-high schools and high schools were “Trackand-field” and “Soccer (including blind soccer)” (Table 2-2). Over half ofthe junior-high schools implemented “Track-and-field” (52.4%) followed by“Table tennis” (30.4%) and “Soccer (including blind soccer)” (25.6%). The
implementation rate of “Track-and-field” at high schools was over 60%, with
“Soccer (including blind soccer)” at 42.9% and “Basketball” at 39.5%.
When viewed according to disability type, activities aimed at children
with visual impairment such as “Floor volleyball”, “Grand softball”, and“Sound table tennis” occupied the top spots for the “Visual impairment only”
schools (Table 2-3). Similarly, “Boccia” and “Hand soccer” were the highly
ranked activities in the “Physical disability only” schools (Table 2-6).

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 39
Table 2-2 Activities implemented within sports clubs(multiple responses)
Rank

Junior-high school [N = 273](%)

High school [N = 478]

#1

Track-and-ﬁeld

52.4

Track-and-ﬁeld

60.7

#2

Table tennis

30.4

Soccer(including blind soccer)

42.9

#3

Soccer(including blind soccer)

25.6

Basketball

39.5

#4

Basketball

17.6

Table tennis

33.9

#5

Flying disc (frisbee)

16.1

Flying disc (frisbee)

19.9

#6

Baseball (including T-ball)

11.7

Badminton

17.8

#7

Badminton

11.4

Softball

14.4#8

Floor volleyball *10.3

Baseball (including T-ball)

11.7

#9

Swimming

8.8

Volleyball(including soft volleyball)

11.1

#10

Volleyball(including soft volleyball)

8.1

Swimming

9.6#11Grand softball **7.7

Kickball

9.2#12Sound table tennis ***7.3

Floor volleyball

6.7

#13

Kickball6.6

Boccia6.1#14

Softball

5.1

Grand softball

5.9

#15

Boccia5.1

Sound table tennis

5.0

Note: ‌Of schools that have sports clubs, we totaled the numbers for those schools which responded to thequestions regarding the implemented activities.
*Floor volleyball:	‌Volleyball adapted for people with a visual impairment. 3 blind players in front and 3 players
without a visual impairment at the back of the court.
**Grand softball:	‌Baseball adapted for people with a visual impairment. 10 players in a team, 4 players have to be
totally blind.
***Sound table tennis:	‌Table tennis adapted for people with a visual impairment. Players hit the balls with the bells inside.

40 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN
Table 2-3 Activities implemented within sports clubs(visual impairment only; multiple responses)
Junior-high school[N = 41]

High school

Floor volleyball

63.4

73.2

(%)

[N = 41]

Grand softball

48.8

68.3

Sound table tennis

48.8

56.1

Track-and-ﬁeld

39.0

48.8

Judo

7.3

22.0

Swimming

19.5

19.5

Goalball

17.1

17.1

Table tennis

9.8

17.1

Baseball (including T-ball)

0.0

2.4

Soccer (including blind soccer)

4.9

0.0

Flying disc (frisbee)

2.4

0.0

Table 2-4 Activities implemented within sports clubs(hearing impairment only; multiple responses)
Junior-high school[N = 63]High school[N = 49]

Track-and-ﬁeld

65.1

89.8

Table tennis

71.4

83.7

Volleyball (including soft volleyball)

25.4

34.7

Baseball (including T-ball)

15.9

24.5

Badminton

17.5

20.4

Soccer (including blind soccer)

7.9

8.2

Basketball

3.2

8.2

Tennis

3.2

8.2

Swimming

3.2

4.1

Flying disc (frisbee)

3.2

4.1

Dodgeball

0.0

0.0

Softball

0.0

0.0

Kickball

0.0

0.0

(%)

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 41
Table 2-5 Activities implemented within sports clubs(intellectual disability only; multiple responses)
Junior-high school[N = 106]High school

Track-and-ﬁeld

52.8

61.9

Soccer (including blind soccer)

47.2

59.5

Basketball

31.1

56.1

(%)

[N = 294]

Table tennis

18.9

31.0

Flying disc (frisbee)

25.5

23.5

Badminton

11.3

19.7

Softball

8.5

19.4

Kickball

13.2

12.6

Volleyball (including soft volleyball)

1.9

10.2

Baseball (including T-ball)

9.4

9.5

Swimming

11.3

9.2

Dodgeball

7.5

4.8

Boccia1.9

4.1

Ground golf *

6.6

3.7

Tennis

0.9

3.7

Kendo

0.9

1.0

Table tennis volleyball **

0.0

1.0

Hand soccer ***

0.9

0.7

Judo

0.0

0.3

Grand softball

0.9

0.0

*Ground golf:	‌Competed by the total number of strokes used to cover all the holes just like traditional golf. The
player with the fewest strokes is a winner. The course can be made on a park or square by setting
up the hole posts and start mats at eight holes.
**Table tennis volleyball:	‌3 players in each team. Players sit in a chair and hit balls to opposite side, maximum of 3 hits per
side.
***Hand soccer:
	‌Universal sport originally developed for special school students with severe disabilities. 7 players
in a team with a variety of playing style – manual/power wheelchair or standing.

42 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN
Table 2-6  Activities implemented within sports clubs(physical disability only; multiple responses)
Junior-high school[N = 21]High school

Track-and-ﬁeld

66.7

65.4

Boccia

52.4

53.8

(%)

[N = 26]

Hand soccer

52.4

50.0

Flying disc (frisbee)

28.6

30.8

Baseball (including T-ball)

23.8

15.4

Table tennis volleyball

9.5

11.5

Swimming

4.8

11.5

Volleyball (including soft volleyball)

9.5

3.8

Archery

4.8

3.8

Soccer (including blind soccer)

4.8

3.8

Table tennis

4.8

3.8

Basketball

4.8

3.8

Ground golf

4.8

3.8

Wheelchair basketball

4.8

3.8

Kickball

4.8

3.8

Floor volleyball

4.8

3.8

Badminton

0.0

3.8

Dodgeball

0.0

0.0

Table 2-7 Activities implemented within sports clubs(hospital school only; multiple responses)
Junior-high school[N = 12]High school[N = 14]

Badminton

41.7

50.0

Basketball

41.7

42.9

Flying disc (frisbee)

33.3

28.6

Soccer (including blind soccer)

16.7

28.6

Table tennis

33.3

21.4

Baseball (including T-ball)

16.7

21.4

Volleyball (including soft volleyball)

16.7

21.4

Track-and-ﬁeld

25.0

7.1

Dodgeball

8.3

7.1

Floor volleyball

8.3

7.1

Kickball

0.0

7.1

Boccia

0.0

7.1

(%)

SPECIAL SCHOOLS ■ 43
(2) Graduates who participate in school sports clubs
Overall, about 30% of graduates participated in the training activities
of school sports clubs (Figure 2-7). When viewed according to disability type,“Hearing impairment only” exhibited the percentage of over 40%. The results
indicate that the activities of school sports clubs at special schools are also anavenue through which graduates participate in sports or exercise.

Figure 2-7
Graduates who participate in school sports clubs

Note 1: ‌Of the 876 valid responses, we totaled the numbers for those schools which responded to thequestions regarding implemented activities.
Note 2: ‌Visual impairment (single/multiple-disability schools): yes or no for the school sports clubs
at both single- and multiple-disability visual impairment schools combined. Same for otherdisability types.
Note 3: ‌Multiple-disability schools for intellectual and physical disabilities: yes or no for activities
which incorporate both physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities, activities which
segregate by disability type, and activities which are for only one of the types. Same for “Other
multiple-disability schools”.

44 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN4. Facilities for exercise/sports activities
The most common facilities for exercise/sports activities were“Gymnasiums” (89.0%) followed by “Sports fields” (83.1%) and “Playrooms(multi-purpose rooms)” (66.7%) (Figure 2-8).

Figure 2-8 School facilities for exercise/sports activities(multiple responses)

Research

3

Sporting Opportunities for People
with Disabilities in
Social Welfare Facilities

SOCIAL WELFARE FACILITIES ■ 47

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations of sports
and recreation opportunities for people living in social welfare facilities inJapan, and to provide an evidence-based data to the government and relevant
sectors for future policy development.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Written Questionnaire - Responded via mail, FAX, or E-mail(2) Questions
attributes (facility capacity, number of employees and admittees etc)
・ Facility‌・ Events related to sports/recreation
・ Participation in external sports/recreation competitions
・ Staff responsible for sports/recreation activities
・ Management strategies(3) Sample
A written questionnaire was sent to 2,454 social welfare facilities forpeople with disabilities. A total of 1,494 facilities responded (the response
rate was 60.9%). Based on the facility capacity and the average age of theadmittees, 1,411 facilities were used for analysis.
(4) Timeframe
October 18, 2013 – November 26, 2013

48 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Survey Results
1. Social welfare facilities(1) Basic facility information
Regarding the facility capacity, “40–59 people” was the most common(47.7%) followed by “60–79 people” (21.0%) (Figure 3-1).

Figure 3-1 Facility capacity
Overall, the average number of staff members at responding facilities
was 40.0 people; when viewed according to the type of employment, theaverage number of full-time employees was 33.6 people and part-time
employees was 8.7 people (Table 3-1).
Table 3-1 Average number of employees (by facility capacity)
Overall
N=1,411
Averagenumber of
employees

Facility capacity
30–39
people40–59
people60–79
people80–99
peopleOver 100
peopleOverall

40.0

24.0

33.4

40.2

52.4

77.5

Full-Time

33.6

18.8

27.8

34.6

45.5

64.0

Part-Time

8.7

5.9

7.4

9.0

10.1

15.9

SOCIAL WELFARE FACILITIES ■ 49(2) People admitted to the facilities
The total number of individuals admitted to the 1,411 facilities was
81,485 people (Table 3-2). As for the breakdown according to the primarydisabilities of those admittees, “Intellectual disability” was the most common
with 70.6% followed by “Physical disability” at 28.6%.
Table 3-2  Number of facility admittees(by disability type and facility capacity)
Overall
N=1,411

Number ofindividuals
admitted to thefacility

Facility capacity
people30–39people40–59

people60–79

people80–99

Over 100
peopleOverall

81,485

4,511

30,90018,232

12,481

15,361

Physical disabilities

23,320(28.6%)

1,332

9,178

5,289

4,025

3,496

Intellectual
disabilities

57,522(70.6%)

3,111

21,477

12,812

8,301

11,821

Mental healthissues437(0.5%)

66

166

105

57

43

Intractable diseases
or other illnesses

206(0.3%)

2

79

26

98

1

Regarding the average age of individuals admitted to the facilities,
2.6% were in their “20s”, 9.4% in their “30s”, 38.6% in their “40s”, 39.6% in
their “50s”, and 9.7% were “60+” years of age; overall, a total of 80% weremiddle-aged (Figure 3-2). Also, the average age of individvals admitted to theanalyzed facilities was 49.3 years.

Figure 3-2 Average age of facility admittees

50 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN2. Events related to sports/recreation
Approximately 70% of facilities held events related to sports/
recreation. The most common event was “Facility sports day or carnival”(45.0%) followed by “Facility program such as a festival or event” (32.7%)
and “Individual sports competition” (19.1%) (Figure 3-3). About one in four
facilities did not hold events related to sports/recreation.

Figure 3-3 Events related to sports/recreation(multiple responses)

SOCIAL WELFARE FACILITIES ■ 51
3. Participation in external sports/recreation competitions
About 80% of facilities participated in external sports/recreationcompetitions. The most common type of competition was “Disability sports
games such as the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities andits prefectural qualifiers” (54.0%) followed by “Sports carnivals and sports/
recreation competitions held by municipal governments for people withdisabilities” (34.9%) (Figure 3-4). The “Other” category (16.8%) included
responses such as sports competitions held by disabled facilities councils or
disability welfare associations.

Figure 3-4 Participation in external sports/recreation competitions(multiple responses)

52 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN4. Location of sports/recreation activities implemented
Regarding the location where sports/recreation activities are
implemented, the most common on-site location was “Multi-purpose room
(indoor)” (59.4%) followed by “Courtyard or vacant lot (outdoor)” (41.2%)
and “Weights training room or workroom” (26.4%). The most common offsite location was “Walking path or park near the facility” (46.8%) followed by“Neighborhood public sports facility” (27.8%) (Figure 3-5).

Figure 3-5 Location of sports/recreation activities(multiple responses)
5. Sports/recreation activity supervisor
Regarding the supervisor of the sports/recreation activities, the mostcommon was “Facility staff member (as part of work)” (96.0%) followed by“Instructor outside the facility (compensated)” (11.8%) and “Instructor outside
the facility (uncompensated)” (9.7%) (Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6 Sports/recreation activity supervisor(multiple responses)

SOCIAL WELFARE FACILITIES ■ 53
6. Management strategies
Regarding the strategies employed when managing sports/recreation
activities for admittees, the most common response was “We hold activities
that anyone can participate in, regardless of the type or severity of disability”(59.5%) followed by “We hold activities that are easy to instruct even without
special knowledge or experience” (39.8%) and “We hold activities that meetthe demands of our admittees” (34.3%) (Figure 3-7).

Figure 3-7 Management strategies(multiple responses)

54 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN7. Support and collaboration network
Regarding the support and collaboration related to the sports/recreation
activities, the most common response was “Don’t receive any support orcollaborate with other organizations” (51.9%) followed by “Council of social
welfare” (12.4%), “Concerned organization or family association of the disabled
person” (11.8%), and “Disability sports organization” (10.3%) (Figure 3-8).

Figure 3-8 Support and collaboration network(multiple responses)
8. Interaction‌with disabled people outside the facility
Regarding the interaction with people with disabilities outside thefacility through sports/recreation activities, the most common response was“Admittees of other facilities for people with disabilities” (48.0%) followed by“No interaction through sports/recreation activities” (27.3%) and “Students orchildren at nurseries, kindergartens, or elementary/junior-high/high schools”(22.8%) (Figure 3-9).

Figure 3-9 Interaction with disabled people outside the facility(multiple responses)

SOCIAL WELFARE FACILITIES ■ 55
9. Challenges related to sports/recreation activities
Regarding the challenges related to sports/recreation activities, themost common response was “Progression of admittees’ disabilities” (77.4%)
followed by “Increased age of admittees” (72.0%) and “Dealing with a wide
variety of admittees’ disabilities” (60.0%) (Figure 3-10). Also, about 40% offacilities responded “Facility staff members lack expertise related to sports/
recreation” and “We lack staff members (including volunteers) for sports/
recreation activities.”

Figure 3-10 Challenges related to sports/recreation activities(multiple responses)

Research

4Sports Facilities for People
with Disabilities

SPORTS FACILITIES ■ 59

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the current situations of sports
facilities for people with disabilities in Japan, and to obtain evidence-based
data on the level of disability sports promotion within those facilities in Japan.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Written Questionnaire - Responded via mail or E-mail(2) Sample
Sports facilities that allow people with disabilities to have exclusive or
priority access(3) Questions
・ Establishment and administration of disability sports facilities	(years established, categories, administrative entities)
・ Facilities adjoined to disability sports facilities
・ Sports instructors
・ Implemented projects
・ Coordination with disability sports associations and rehabilitation centers(4) Timeframe
December 5, 2012 – January 31, 2013

60 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Survey Results
1. Sports facilities for people with disabilities
Among public sports facilities in Japan, there are sports facilities thatallow people with disabilities to have exclusive or priority access. Sasakawa
Sports Foundation call them “Disability Sports Facilities”. As of 2013, there
are 114 of these facilities located throughout Japan.
(1) Purpose of their establishment
Figure 4-1 shows the categories of disability sports facilities basedon the purpose of their establishment. Over 80% of facilities were “Welfare
Centers for the Persons with Physical Disabilities” (30.7%), “Gymnasiums
for Workers with Physical Disabilities” (25.4%) and “Education, Culture andSports Centers for Workers with Physical Disabilities” (28.9%).

Figure 4-1
Categories of disability sports facilities

SPORTS FACILITIES ■ 61(2) Categories of disability sports facilities
1. Welfare Centers for the Persons with Physical Disabilities
	Facilities specified in the Act for the Welfare of Physically Disabled
Persons, aimed at supporting social participation of persons withphysical disabilities.
2. Gymnasiums for Workers with Physical Disabilities
	Facilities were established between 1975 and 1980 by the Employment
Promotion Corporation, with the aim of improving welfare and morestable employment of workers with physical disabilities.
3.	Education, Culture and Sports Centers for Workers with Physical
Disabilities
	Facilities were also established by the Employment Promotion
Corporation between 1981 and 1986, with the aim of making use ofavailable facilities to improve the physical functions, physical fitness,
communication, education and cultural welfare of workers with physicaldisabilities.
4. Others	Facilities that have been established by prefectures or ordinancedesignated cities for purposes other than those listed above (1 to 3).
(3) Years established
Figure 4-2 shows the trends in the number of disability sports facilities.
About 80% of disability sports facilities (90 facilities) were established before
1990, and there has been only 7 facilities established after 2001.

Figure 4-2 Trends in the number of facilities

62 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(4) Administrative entities for disability sports facilities
Figure 4-3 shows the administrative entities for disability sports
facilities. Designated administrators handled the management and operationof 84.2% of facilities; 14.9% were administered directly by municipal
governments, while 1% were managed by the central government. In addition,
the breakdown of designated administrators is shown in Table 4-1. This datashows “Social welfare association/Social welfare agency/Rehabilitation
agency” to be the most common (over 60%). Although proportionally few innumber, some facilities were also found to be administered by a “Disability
sports association”, “Sports association/Sports promotion agency”, or “Private
business operator”.

Figure 4-3 Administrative entities
Table 4-1 Breakdown of designated administrators (N=93)
Category

Ratio (%)

Social welfare association / Social welfare agency / Rehabilitation agency

64.5

Disability sports association

7.5

Sports association / Sports promotion agency

10.8

Private business operator

5.4

Sports organization

2.2

Municipality

1.1

Worker cooperative

2.2

Other

6.5

SPORTS FACILITIES ■ 63
2. Facilities adjoined to disability sports facilities
Figure 4-4 displays information about the facilities adjoined to disability
sports facilities. “Gymnasiums” were the most common, being built at 96.5%
of disability sports facilities. The next highest was “Weights training rooms”(41.2%) followed by “Swimming pools” (39.5%), “Sports fields” (22.8%),“Archery ranges” (17.5%), “Table tennis rooms” (15.8%), and “Tennis courts”(9.6%).

Weights trainingroom
Swimming pool

Table tennis
room

Figure 4-4 Facilities adjoined (N=114; multiple responses)

64 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANWhen viewed by number of different adjoining facilities (including“Other”), stand-alone disability sports facilities made up one-third of the total
at 35.1%, while disability sports facilities with two types of adjoining facilities
amounted to 21.9%; together, these two groups accounted for over 50% of thetotal number of facilities (Figure 4-5).

Figure 4-5 Number of adjoining facilities

SPORTS FACILITIES ■ 65
3. Staffing of sports instructors(1) Paid or compensated sports instructors
74 disability sports facilities (64.9%) responded that there was at least
one sports instructor on staff. The facility with the most instructors had atotal of 72 people, while the facility with the least amount of instructors had
1 person. Among facilities with at least one instructor, the average number of
instructors was 12.7, with a median of 5 instructors. By including facilities
with no instructors it brings the average to 8.3 instructors, with a median of 3
instructors.
(2) Personnel certified in disability sports instruction
68 of 114 disability sports facilities (59.6%) responded that there wasa certified instructor on staff. Table 4-2 shows the information regarding
each type of instructor certification. On staff at over 50% of facilities, “Parasports beginners instructors” represented both the highest percentage and thehighest total number of individuals. “Para-sports intermediate instructors” and“Para-sports advanced instructors” were each on staff at roughly one-thirdof facilities. The number of “Para-sports advanced instructors” was slightly
higher than that of “Para-sports intermediate instructors”.
Table 4-2
Staffing of personnel certified in disability sports instruction
Ratio (%)

Number of
Facilities

Number ofPeoplePara-sports instructors:beginners level

53.5

61

213

Para-sports instructors:intermediate level

32.5

37

79

Para-sports instructors:advanced level

33.3

38

122

Para-sports coaches

18.4

21

28

Qualification Name

Para-sports trainers

0.9

1

1

Welfare recreation worker

1.8

2

2

Other

8.8

10

40

66 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN4. Projects implemented at disability sports facilities
Regarding the projects implemented at 114 disability sports facilities,“Sports competitions” were implemented at 58 facilities (50.9%), “Sports
classes” were implemented at 67 facilities (58.8%), and “Sports mobile
classes” were implemented at 27 facilities (23.7%) (Table 4-3).
Table 4-3 Projects implemented
Project

Ratio (%)

Number of Facilities

Sports competitions

50.9

58

Sports classes

58.8

67

Sports mobile classes

23.7

27

5. Coordination‌with disability sports associations and rehabilitation centers(1) Coordination with disability sports associations
When disability sports facilities established by a prefecture (45locations) were asked about whether there is a disability sports association
under that prefecture, 34 locations (75.6%) answered “yes”. Regarding therelationship between disability sports associations and facilities, about 60%of those facilities were found to coordinate with a disability sports association(Table 4-4).
When disability sports facilities established by a municipality (68locations) were asked about the existence of a disability sports association,
19 locations (27.9%) answered “yes”. Regarding the relationship between
disability sports associations and facilities, about 80% of those facilities were
found to coordinate with a disability sports association.
Table 4-4 Relationship with disability sports associations
Prefectures(N = 34) (%)

Municipalities(N = 19) (%)

A disability sports association has ofﬁces in the administrative
organization for the facility or the facility is managed by adisability sports association

23.5

36.8

Coordinates with a disability sports association

38.2

42.1

Does not coordinate with a disability sports association

26.5

15.8

Other

11.8

5.3

SPORTS FACILITIES ■ 67(2) Coordination with rehabilitation centers
Rehabilitation centers are facilities that provide people withdisabilities with a comprehensive service from functional recovery training
to rehabilitation into society. Because some facilities bearing the name“rehabilitation center” exist within disability sports facilities, we examined therelationship between the two.
Regarding the relationship between disability sports facilities establishedby a prefecture and rehabilitation centers, about one in four of those facilities
were found to coordinate with a rehabilitation center (Table 4-5). Of thosefacilities, 16.3% were “Managed by the same organization as the rehabilitation
center or adjoined to the rehabilitation center”. Also, approximately 20%
of disability sports facilities established by a municipality were found tocoordinate with a rehabilitation center. Of those facilities, 13.6% were“Managed by the same organization as the rehabilitation center or adjoined to
the rehabilitation center”.
Table 4-5 Relationship with rehabilitation centers
Prefectures(N = 43) (%)

Municipalities(N = 59) (%)

Managed by the same organization as the rehabilitation centeror adjoined to the rehabilitation center

16.3

13.6

Managed by a different organization of that of the rehabilitation
center, but the two coordinate

9.3

5.1

Does not coordinate with the rehabilitation center

67.4

78.0

Other

7.0

3.4

6. Disability sports centers
Public sports facilities in Japan in 1960s were not built for the use bypeople with disabilities. However, in May 1974 the very first sports centertargeted at people with physical disabilities was built in Osaka prefecture. The
center was managed with a strong focus on improving physical and mental
well-being of individual users. With the success of disability sports center
in Osaka, the number of centers throughout Japan increased after 1980 (25centers in total as of 2015).
Moreover, in order to exchange information, share knowledge, andsolve the common facility management issues of the centers, “Disability sports
center council” was launched in 1984.

Research

5

Disability Sports Instructors

INSTRUCTORS ■ 71

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations of parasports instructors, and to provide an evidence-based data to the governmentand relevant sectors for future policy development.
2. Data collection method
Secondary analysis -1(1) Method
Japanese Para-Sports Association (JPSA)’s “JPSA Certified Sports
Instructor System (2012)” and “JPSA-JPC Educational Programmes (2015)”
were used for secondary analysis to obtain the latest number of registered parasports instructors (as of December 2014).
Secondary analysis -2 (written questionnaire)(1) Method
Secondary data analysis of JPSA’s “Survey on Para-Sports Instructors
2012)”.
(2) Sample size
“Survey on Para-Sports Instructors (2012)” targeted at 21,924
registered para-sports instructors (beginners, intermediate, and advanced).
3,803 instructors responded (the response rate was 17.3%). In this report, 12
instructors were removed from the analysis due to a low sample in a specificage category, and a total of 3,791 samples were used for the analysis.
(3) Questions
・ Respondents attributes (gender, age)・ ‌Acquisition of instructor qualifications (purpose, frequency of activities etc)
・ Activity as an instructor (frequency, activity location, main role, anxiety
factors, problems experienced)(4) Data Analysis
Grand total, cross-Sectional Analysis

72 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Results (secondary analysis-1)
1. Japanese Para-Sports Association’s Educational Programs(1) Overview of Japanese Para-Sports Association’s educational Programs
Japanese Para-Sports Association (JPSA) authorized by the Ministry of
Health and Welfare (currently Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare:MHLW)
was established in 1965 as the celebration of the Tokyo 1964 Paralympic
Games. With the first National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities heldin 1964, MHLW authorized JPSA to develop para-sports instructors, and since
1966 JPSA has been responsible for conducting the following educational
programs; Para-Sports Instructors (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced), ParaSports Coaches, Para-Sports Doctors and Para-Sports Trainers (Table 5-1).
Table 5-1 Overview of JPSA’s Para-Sports Instructors
Para-Sports Instructors (FY2011)
Beginners Level

Intermediate Level

Advanced Level

Number of
Instructors

18,841

2,395

688

Role

Providing instructions
for beginners in sports
at the community level.

Working as a leading
instructor at thecommunity level withextensive knowledge andexperience in instructing

Working as a leader
at the prefectural levelwith highly sophisticatedknowledge andexperience in instructing

JPSA Certified Sports Instructor System (2012)(2) Certification school system for obtaining qualifications
In 1993, JPSA established a system that designates certification schoolsfor obtaining the JPSA-certified instructor qualification and committed itself
to maintaining instructors. As of FY 2012, there are 170 certification schools
in Japan; 148 of these allow individuals to obtain the beginners certification,
while 22 schools offer the intermediate certification.
When viewed according to school type, 78 of the schools were fouryear universities (of these, 56 offered beginners certification and 22 offeredintermediate certification), 17 were junior colleges, and 75 were vocational
schools. Among these were 13 sports-related universities or departments(including junior colleges) and 20 welfare or health-related (including health/social welfare) junior colleges and universities.

INSTRUCTORS ■ 73

III. Results (secondary analysis-2)
1. Respondents Attributes
There were proportionally more female respondents than male
respondents, and a comparison with the gender ratio of registered instructors(46.2% male, 53.8% female) reveals an almost identical ratio (Table 5-2 and
5-3).
When viewed according to age group, a proportionately high numberof respondents to this survey were in their 50s or 60s, even though 40% of all
registered instructors are in their 20s.
Table 5-2 Number of registered Para-Sports instructors in FY2011
Overall

Beginners

Intermediate%

Number

21,924100.0

18,841

85.9

2,395

10.9

688

3.1

Male

10,138

46.2

8565

45.5

1,156

48.3

417

60.6

Female11,786

53.8

10,276

54.5

1,239

51.7

271

39.4

Overall%

NumberAdvanced

Number%Number%Gender

Age
10s

112

0.5

111

0.6

1

0.0

0

0.0

20s

9,611

43.8

9,085

48.2

511

21.3

15

2.2

30s

4,047

18.5

3,491

18.5

412

17.2

144

20.9

40s

2,881

13.1

2,286

12.1

420

17.5

175

25.4

50s

2,736

12.5

2,057

10.9

504

21.0

175

25.4

60s

1,902

8.7

1,368

7.3

413

17.2

121

17.6

70+

635

2.9

443

2.4

134

5.6

58

8.4

Information provided by JPSA

74 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN
Table 5-3 Respondents Attributes(overall・gender・age・gender×age)
N

%

3,791

100.0

Male

1,845

48.6

Female

1,945

51.4

Overall
Gender

Age
20s

613

16.2

30s

712

18.8

40s

676

17.8

50s

791

20.9

60s

737

19.4

70+

261

6.9

20s

206

11.2

30s

315

17.1

40s

326

17.7

50s

390

21.1

60s

411

22.3

70+

197

10.7

20s

407

20.9

30s

397

20.4

40s

350

18.0

50s

401

20.6

60s

326

16.8

70+

64

3.3

Gender×Age
Male

FemaleINSTRUCTORS ■ 75
2. Acquisition of instructor qualifications(1) Breakdown of instructors by qualification - overall / by age group
When viewing the qualification categories according to age group,
90.0% of instructors in their 20s held the beginners certification, 10.0% held
the intermediate certification, and none were found to hold the advanced
certification (Figure 5-1). A total of 28.1% of instructors in their 60s held
the intermediate certification, which was higher than in other age groups;
instructors in their 40s and those 70+ showed the highest percentages for theadvanced certification, with 10.1% and 11.5% respectively.

Figure 5-1 Instructors by qualification type(overall / by age group)(2) Purpose of obtaining a qualification
The most common overall response was “I was interested in the highperformance sports of people with disabilities” (53.3%) followed by “I wanted
to increase my disability sports knowledge and skills” (52.7%), and “I wasinterested in the everyday sports of people with disabilities” (46.2%) (Figure
5-2).
When viewed according to qualification type, intermediate instructors
gave a proportionally higher number of “I was interested in the highperformance sports of people with disabilities” responses (61.4%), while alarge number of advanced instructors answered “I wanted to increase mydisability sports knowledge and skills” (70.0%).

76 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Figure 5-2 Purpose of obtaining a qualification(overall / by qualification type; multiple response)

INSTRUCTORS ■ 77
(3) Benefits of obtaining qualifications
The respondents overall felt that obtaining qualifications had benefitedthem, with over half responding “It increased the opportunities for meetinga wide variety of people” (56.4%) followed by “I saw the smiling faces ofmany people with disabilities” (43.4%), and “Acquiring information related todisability sports instruction became easier” (42.3%) (Figure 5-3).
When viewed according to qualification type, intermediate instructors
had the highest percentage of “I increased my opportunities to be involved indisability sports” (46.9%), indicating that obtaining the qualifications allowed
them to feel the benefits of increased participation in activities.

Figure 5-3 Benefits of obtaining a qualification(overall / by qualification type; multiple responses)

78 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN3. Activities as instructors(1) Frequency of activities as instructors
Regarding the frequency of activities as instructors, the most common
response was “Not at all” at 33.8%. A similar percentage of instructors (34.3%)
participated at least once a month, while 13.5% participated at least once aweek (Figure 5-4).
By gender, 42.0% of women answered “Not at all” compared to only
25.2% of men. On the other hand, no gender difference was observed amongindividuals who participate in activities at least once a week (14.4% of men
and 12.5% of women).
By qualification type, approximately 40% of beginners instructors
responded “Not at all” while 9.0% of them routinely participated in activities atleast once a week. “Almost every day” was the most common response (16.4%)
among advanced instructors, with over 40% of them routinely participating in
activities at least once a week.

Figure 5-4 Frequency of activities in FY2011

INSTRUCTORS ■ 79(2) Main activity locations as instructors
Overall the most common response was “Competitions or other events”(47.6%), meaning the activities were irregular (not routine) events (Figure5-5). The next most common was “Various leagues or organizations related todisability sports” (35.2%) followed by “Local clubs or circles” (23.2%).
When viewed according to qualification type, the higher the level ofqualification is, the higher the percentage of participation in all activity locations.

Figure 5-5 Main activity locations(overall / by qualification type; multiple responses)

80 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(3) Main role at activities
Overall the most common response was “Referee, official, or assistantfor a competition” (44.3%) followed by “Assisting with instruction at an
exercise or sports class” (33.6%) and “Exercising or playing together” (33.5%)(Figure 5-6).
When viewed by qualification type, the proportions of “Referee, official,or assistant for a competition”, “Primary instructor at an exercise or sports
class”, and “Management staff for an athletic or disability sports organization”
responses increased as the level of qualification increased. The data revealed
that instructors with higher qualifications assume a large number of different
roles.

Figure 5-6 Main role at activities(overall / by qualification type; multiple responses)

INSTRUCTORS ■ 81
(4) Anxiety factors when instructing
The most common response was “Things that must be considered
due to the disabilities” (62.5%) followed by “Lack of experience” (47.9%),“Knowledge of sports rules” (42.5%), and “Designing the instruction program”(33.9%) (Figure 5-7).
We also divided the activity frequency into three groups; “No activity”,“Several times a year”, and “At least once a month”. “No activity” group had
the highest proportion of individuals who felt anxiety, with seven out of ten(72.4%) responding that the biggest anxiety factor was “Lack of experience”
followed by “Things that must be considered due to the disabilities” (59.6%)
and “Knowledge of sports rules” (50.7%).
The “At least once a month” group had the highest percentage of “Things
that must be considered due to the disabilities” responses (66.5%) of all theactivity frequency groups, followed by “Creating a safe environment” (41.1%)
and “Designing the instruction program” (32.7%).

Figure 5-7 Anxiety factors when instructing(overall / by activity frequency group; multiple responses)

82 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(5) Problems when instructing
The most common response was “They often overlap with work or school”(46.6%) followed by “I feel anxious about instructing” (22.0%), and “Lack of
information about the activity locations (occasions)” (20.8%) (Figure 5-8).
We also divided the activity frequency data into three groups; “Noactivity”, “Several times a year”, and “At least once a month”. For “Noactivity” group, the most common response was “They often overlap with workor school” (51.9%) followed by “I feel anxious about instructing” (25.5%), and“I feel obligated to do household chores such as childcare or nursing a priority”(24.9%). Over half of the “Several times a year” group responded “They often
overlap with work or school” (53.2%) followed by “Lack of information
about the activity locations (occasions)” (23.9%), and “I feel anxious about
instructing” (22.7%).

Figure 5-8 Problems when instructing(overall / by activity frequency group; multiple responses)

Research

6

Disability Sports Administration in
Local Governments

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 85

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations ofsports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities in prefectures,
ordinace-designated cities, core cities, special cities and special wards, andto provide an evidence-based data to the government and relevant sectors for
future policy development.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Written Questionnaire - Responded via mail or E-mail(2) Questions
・ Departments in charge of disability sports
・ Sponsored or jointly sponsored disability sports competitions or events・ Sponsored or jointly sponsored disability sports classes・ S ponsored or jointly sponsored training courses for disability sports
instructors or disability sports volunteers
・ Sports facilities which improved accessibility・ Impact of transferring control of disability sports administration to
MEXT(3) Sample Size
A written questionnaire was sent to 173 local governments (prefecturesand municipalities). In this survey, municipalities mean ordinance-designatedcities, core cities, special cities, and special wards.
A total of 167 local governments (47 prefectures <100% response rate>and 120 municipalities <95.2% response rate>) responded. The response rateoverall was 96.5%.
(4) Timeframe
August 18, 2014 – September 16, 201486 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Survey Results
1. Prefectures(1) Departments in charge of disability sports and their implemented projects① Primary departments in charge of disability sports‌ With prefectures, “Social welfare departments or departments related to
the welfare of persons with disabilities” accounted for nearly all (95.7%) of
the departments which take primary charge of disability sports, while “Sports
departments of executive offices” played that role in 4.3% of cases (Figure
6-1).

Figure 6-1  Primary department in charge of disability sports② Sponsored or jointly sponsored projects‌	 Regarding the projects sponsored or jointly sponsored by prefecturesin fiscal year 2013, all prefectures held “Disability sports competitions or
events”, with 42.6% of prefectures implementing “Disability sports classes”
and 63.8% holding “Training courses for disability sports instructors or
volunteers” (Figure 6-2). In addition, 38.3% of prefectures implemented all
three of the above types of activities; 29.8% implemented two of the types;
and 31.9% implemented one of the types (Figure 6-3).

Figure 6-2 Disability sports projects implemented in FY 2013

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 87

Figure 6-3 Implementation of three projects in FY 2013
(2) Disability sports competitions or events① Collaborating organizations for disability sports competitions or events‌	 Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered fordisability sports competitions or events, the most common was “Prefectural
disability sports association” (76.5%) followed by “Disability sports
instructor association” (41.8%), and “Concerned organization or family
association of the disabled person” (39.8%) (Figure 6-4).

Figure 6-4
Collaborating organizations for disability sports competitions or events

88 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN② Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events‌	 Regarding the activities implemented at disability sports competitions or
events, the most common was “Track-and-field” (61.2%) followed by “Flying
disc (frisbee)” (59.2%), “Table tennis” (53.1%), and “Swimming (including
underwater walking)” (46.9%), with the top positions occupied by activities
which are held at the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities(Figure 6-5).

Figure 6-5
Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events (top 20)

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 89(3) Disability sports classes① Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes‌	 Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered fordisability sports classes, the most common was “Prefectural disability sports
association” (80.0%) followed by “Disability sports instructor association”(28.9%) and “Concerned organization or family association of the disabled
person” (22.2%) (Figure 6-6).

Figure 6-6 Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes

90 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN② Implemented activities at disability sports classes‌	 Regarding the activities implemented at disability sports classes, themost common was “Swimming (including underwater walking)” (48.9%)
followed by “Flying disc (frisbee)” (31.1%), “Table tennis” (28.9%), and“Boccia” (24.4%) (Figure 6-7).

Figure 6-7 Implemented activities at disability sports classes (top 20)

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 91(4) ‌Training courses for disability sports instructors or volunteers
Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered for training
courses, the most common was “Prefectural disability sports association”(71.1%) followed by “Disability sports instructor association” (52.6%) (Figure
6-8).

Figure 6-8 Collaborating organizations for training courses

92 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(5) Other disability sports projects
Regarding the disability sports projects other than “Disability sports
competitions or events”, “Disability sports classes”, and “Training courses fordisability sports instructors or volunteers”, the most common was “Financial
assistance for competitions or athletic events held by disability sports
organizations or for participation in national or block-specific competitions”(66.0%) followed by “Supporting activities for the training sessions of
disability sports organizations” (48.9%) (Figure 6-9).

Figure 6-9 Implementation of other projects

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 93(6) Sports facilities with improved accessibility
Regarding the sports facilities for which prefectures improved
accessibility over the past three years, “Some facilities were improved”
responses totaled 47.8% followed by “No facilities were improved” (21.7%)(Figure 6-10).

Figure 6-10 Improvement of accessibility at sports facilities(7) Impact of transferring control of disability sports administration to MEXT
Regarding the reorganization or transferring of control of prefectural
departments in charge of disability sports, “There are no plans to transfer
control or reorganize” responses made up about 70% (Figure 6-11). A total of
6.4% had transferred control or undergone reorganization.

Figure 6-11
Reorganization or transfer of control of departmentsin charge of disability sports

94 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN2. ‌Municipalities (ordinance-designated cities, core cities, special cities,
and special wards)(1) Departments in charge of disability sports and their implemented projects① Primary departments in charge of disability sports	‌ With municipalities, “Social welfare departments or departments related
to the welfare of persons with disabilities” (66.7%) was the most common
type of department which takes primary charge of disability sports, followed
by “Sports departments of boards of education” (16.7%) (Figure 6-12).

Figure 6-12  Primary department in charge of disability sports② Sponsored or jointly sponsored projects‌	 Regarding the projects sponsored or jointly sponsored by municipalities
in fiscal year 2013, the most common was “Disability sports competitions
or events” (66.7%) followed by “Disability sports classes” (50.8%) and“Training courses for disability sports instructors or disability sports
volunteers” (16.7%) (Figure 6-13). Also, of those three types of projects,
10.8% of municipalities implemented all three, 29.2% implemented two
types, and 43.3% implemented one type, with 16.7% of municipalities not
implementing any of the three (Figure 6-14).

Figure 6-13 Disability sports projects implemented in FY 2013

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 95

Figure 6-14 Implementation of three projects in FY 2013
(2) Disability sports competitions or events① Collaborating organizations for disability sports competitions or events‌ Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered fordisability sports competitions or events, the most common was “Concernedorganization or family association of the disabled person” (48.0%)
followed by both “Municipal council of social welfare” and “General sports
organization (sports association etc.)” at 23.7% each (Figure 6-15).

Figure 6-15
Collaborating organizations for disability sports competitions or events

96 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN② Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events‌	 Regarding the activities implemented at disability sports competitions or
events, the most common was “Flying disc (frisbee)” (34.2%) followed by“Track-and-field” (28.9%) and “Swimming (including underwater walking)”(21.7%), with the top positions occupied by activities which are held at the
National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities (Figure 6-16).

Figure 6-16
Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events (top 20)

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 97(3) Disability sports classes① Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes‌ Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered fordisability sports classes, the most common were “Other welfare association”
and “General sports organization (sports association etc.)” at 15.8% each
(Figure 6-17).

Figure 6-17  Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes

98 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN② Implemented activities at disability sports classes‌ Regarding the activities implemented at disability sports classes, themost common was “Swimming (including underwater walking)” (30.7%)
followed by “Table tennis” (14.9%), “Boccia” (14.0%), and “Flying disc(frisbee)” (14.0%) (Figure 6-18).

Figure 6-18  Implemented activities at disability sports classes (top 20)

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 99(4) ‌Training courses for disability sports instructors or volunteers
Regarding the organizations which collaborated or partnered for training
courses, the most common was “Prefectural disability sports association”(33.3%) followed by “Disability sports center” (29.2%) (Figure 6-19).

Figure 6-19 Collaborating organizations for training courses

100 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(5) Other disability sports projects
Regarding the disability sports projects other than “Disability sports
competitions or events”, “Disability sports classes”, and “Training courses fordisability sports instructors or disability sports volunteers”, about half of themunicipalities did not sponsor or jointly sponsor any disability sports projects(Figure 6-20). “Financial assistance for competitions or athletic events held bydisability sports organizations or for participation in national or block-specificcompetitions” responses totaled 21.7%.

Figure 6-20 Implementation of other projects

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ■ 101(6) Sports facilities which improved accessibility
Regarding the sports facilities for which municipalities improved
accessibility over the past three years, “Some facilities were improved”
responses totaled 35.8% while “No facilities were improved” came in at 44.2%(Figure 6-21).

Figure 6-21 Improvement of accessibility at sports facilities(7) Impact of transferring control of disability sports administration to MEXT
Regarding the reorganization or transferring control of municipal
departments in charge of disability sports, “There are no plans to transfer
control or reorganize” responses made up about 90% (Figure 6-22). A total of
3.4% had transferred control or undergone reorganization.

Figure 6-22
Reorganization or transfer of control of departments incharge of disability sports

Research

7

National Sports Festival for People
with Disabilities

NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL ■ 105

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations ofhosting the qualifying matches for National Sports Festival for People with
Disabilities, and to provide an evidence-based data to the government andrelevant sectors for future policy development.
2. Secondary analysis (written questionnaire)(1) Method
Secondary data analysis of the research survey “Survey on the sports
implemented at the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities”
conducted by Japanese Para-Sports Association in 2013.
(2) Data Analysis“Survey on the sports implemented at the National Sports Festival for
People with Disabilities” targeted at the departments in charge of disability
sports and disability sports associations in prefectures and ordinancedesignated cities. A total of 63 local governments (47 prefectures <100%
response rate> and 16 ordinance-designated cities <80.0% response rate>)
responded. The response rate overall was 94.0%.

106 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Results
1. Overview of the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities(1) Festival history
The National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities (NSFPD)
is an event that was created by integrating the "National Sports Festival for
People with Physical Disabilities" held since 1965 and the "National Sports
Festival for People with Intellectual Disabilities" held since 1992; the NSFPD
was first held in 2001 and takes place in the same location as the NationalSports Festival of Japan, following the conclusion of that event. Its goal is topromote sports participation of people with disabilities and to facilitate public's
understanding of them, and it has grown to encompass a scale of about 3,000
athletes and 2,000 staff (Table 7-1).
Because sports regulations have been established for the NSFPD, in thecase of a person with a physical disability, the individual's physical disability
ID card is consulted and a classification is chosen which matches the existingdisability. This means that the disability classification may differ from thosein sports regulations stipulated by international organizations such as theInternational Paralympic Committee which determines classifications based on
the severity of motor impairment.
Table 7-1 Number of participants in NSFPD (2001–2014)Year

Location Held

Number of Athletes

Number of Staff

2001

Miyagi Prefecture

3,195

1,747

2002

Kochi Prefecture

3,201

1,935

2003

Shizuoka Prefecture

3,289

2,089

2004

Saitama Prefecture

3,089

1,995

2005

Okayama Prefecture

3,238

2,009

2006

Hyogo Prefecture

3,261

2,071

2007

Akita Prefecture

3,227

2,071

2008

Oita Prefecture

3,202

2,030

2009

Niigata Prefecture

3,231

2,164

2010

Chiba Prefecture

3,238

1,925

2011

Yamaguchi Prefecture

3,238

2,166

2012

Gifu Prefecture

3,165

2,150

2013

Tokyo Prefecture

3,308

2,154

2014

Nagasaki Prefecture

3,232

2,245

Information from the Japanese Para-Sports Association website

NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL ■ 107(2) Implemented sports
NSFPD’s sports are divided into two groups: official sports and open
sports. Official sports are the 13 sports (6 individual sports and 7 team sports)
established in the sports regulations of the NSFPD (Table 7-2). Open sports arethose sports deemed to be effective in disseminating sports among people withdisabilities, and differ from festival to festival.
Table 7-2 Official sports of the NSFPD

SportsIndividual Sports

Team Sports

Track-and-ﬁeld

Basketball

Swimming

Wheelchair basketballArchery

SoftballTable tennis

Grand softball

Flying disc (frisbee)

Volleyball

Bowling

SoccerKickball

The sports regulations of the NSFPD (2014)

108 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(3) Number of sports by disability type
When viewing the sports by disability type, the highest number forindividual sports was seen with "Physical disability", "Hearing/Equilibrium
disability or speech/chewing disability", and "Intellectual disability", which
had 5 sports each. For team sports, "Intellectual disability" had the most with 7
sports (Table 7-3). No individual sports were implemented for "Mental healthissues" and no team sports were implemented for "Internal disability".
Table 7-3 List of NSFPD sports (by disability type)
Division

Individual

Number of

Disability TypeSportsPhysical disability

Track-and-ﬁeld, swimming, archery, table tennis,
ﬂying disc (frisbee)

5

Visual impairment

Track-and-ﬁeld, swimming, table tennis, ﬂying
disc (frisbee)

4

Hearing/Equilibrium disability Track-and-ﬁeld, swimming, archery, table tennis,
or speech/chewing disability
ﬂying disc (frisbee)

5Intellectual disability

Track-and-ﬁeld, swimming, table tennis, ﬂying
disc (frisbee), bowling5

Mental health issues

None

0

Internal disability

Track-and-ﬁeld, archery, ﬂying disc (frisbee)

3

Physical disability

Wheelchair basketball

1

Visual impairment

Grand softball

1

Hearing impairment

Volleyball (gender-segregated)

2

TeamIntellectual disability

Basketball (gender-segregated), softball,volleyball (gender-segregated), soccer, kickballSports7

Mental health issues

Volleyball

1

Internal disability

None

0

The sports regulations of the NSFPD (2014)
Note: ‌Volleyball (Hearing disability/Intellectual disability) and Basketball (Intellectual disability) was
implemented in both male and female events.

NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL ■ 109(4) Athlete selection
As a general rule, athletes participating in individual sports can compete
in up to two events within the same sport. However, athletes participatingin team sports cannot compete in individual sports. Athletes are selected by
an athlete selection committee comprised of individuals associated with thedisability sports or disability sports organization of a prefecture or ordinancedesignated city. In addition to referring to the results of disability sports
competitions in the prefecture or ordinance-designated city, the selection
committee must also consider factors such as preferentially selecting athletes
who have never competed in the NSFPD.
In addition to teams from the prefecture or ordinance-designated citywhere the festival is held, teams which won the block qualifying matches alsoearn the right to compete in team games. There are six blocks: Hokkaido/
Tohoku, Kanto, Hokushinetsu/Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Block qualifying matches are held through negotiations between the JapanesePara-Sports Association and block qualifier organizations.
(5) Form of participation in block qualifying matches
How to participate in block qualifying matches vary depending on theprefectures and ordinance-designated cities, but they can generally be classified
as follows.
① ‌Teams which won qualifying matches within the prefecture or
ordinance-designated city
② ‌Teams formed by selecting athletes from multiple teams within theprefecture or ordinance-designated city
③ ‌Nomination of a single team within the prefecture or ordinancedesignated city (cases where only one team exists within the prefectureor ordinance-designated city correspond with this)prefectural and ordinance-designated city teams (only for④ Merging‌
prefectures which contain an ordinance-designated city)

Research

8

Disability Sports Promotion within
Comprehensive Community
Sports Clubs

COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUBS ■ 113

I. Overview
1. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations of sports
and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities in Comprehensive
Community Sports Clubs (clubs), and to provide an evidence-based data to thegovernment and relevant sectors for future policy development.
2. Data collection method(1) Method
Written Questionnaire - Responded via mail, online, or E-mail(2) Questions
・ Number of members, activity locations etc
・ Participation of people with disabilities
・ Circumstances behind participation
・ Disability type・ Events participated
・ Club’s plans and efforts(3) Sample size
A written questionnaire was sent to 1,840 clubs registered underComprehensive Community Sports Clubs National Network (SC National
Network). However, in Hyogo Prefecture 20 clubs out of 833 clubs wererandomly selected. A total 969 clubs responded and the response rate was
52.7%.
(4) Timeframe
June 18, 2012 – July 31, 2012(5) Secondary data analysis“MEXT’s Survey on Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs”
Club attributes such as the number of members, budgets, years
established, number of club managers and full-time staff were obtained byconducting a secondary data analysis of “MEXT’s Survey on Comprehensive
Community Sports Clubs” conducted in 2011.

114 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANII. Survey Results
A comprehensive community sports club is a sport club that is
independently run by local residents, usually at a public facility or a school
facility that is open to the public, and available for all members of thecommunities.
1. Clubs responded(1) Number of members in responding clubs
Regarding the number of members in comprehensive community sports
clubs (clubs), the most common was 101–300 members (45.1%), followed by
301–1,000 (26.5%) (Figure 8-1). Results of the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science, and Technology’s “Study on Comprehensive Community
Sports Club for Fiscal Year 2011” (the “2011 MEXT Study”) (2,630 responses,
97.4% response rate, three prefectures excluded) followed the same trend as
those of this study, showing the club membership structure to be: 101–300
people = 45.7%; 301–1,000 people = 24.4%; and 100 or less people = 22.9%.

Figure 8-1 Number of members in responding clubs

Note: ‌When comparing the MEXT study data with the data from this survey, newly established clubs aswell as clubs without matching names for which membership information could be obtained were
excluded from analysis.

COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUBS ■ 115(2) Activity locations for responding clubs
Regarding the clubs’ activity locations, “Gymnasiums” was the mostcommon at 93.0% followed by “Sports fields” at 60.6% (Figure 8-2).

facilities, and multipurpose open spaces were received under the “Other”
category.

Figure 8-2 Activity locations (multiple responses)
2. Former or current participation of people with disabilities
Regarding the former or current participation of people with disabilities
in clubs, the most common response was “No participation” (46.4%) followedby “Currently participating” (30.6%) (Figure 8-3).
Combining the “Formerly participated” (12.3%) and “Currently
participating” (30.6%) responses reveals that people with disabilities haveparticipated or are participating at 42.9% of the clubs.

Figure 8-3 Former or current participation of people with disabilities

116 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN3. ‌Clubs which responded that people with disabilities “Formerly participated”
or are “Currently participating”(1) Circumstances behind the participation of people with disabilities
Regarding the circumstances behind the participation of people withdisabilities, the most common was “People with disabilities wanted toparticipate in a general program” (69.6%) followed by “We held an eventin which people with disabilities and people without disabilities could
participate together” (30.1%) and “People without disabilities who had a goodunderstanding about people with disabilities were involved in the creation of
the club” (18.0%) (Figure 8-4).

Figure 8-4 Circumstances behind participation(multiple responses)

COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUBS ■ 117(2) Disability types
Regarding the disability type of people who formerly participated or are
currently participating, the most common was “Physical disability” (48.0%)
followed by “Intellectual disability” (38.9%) and “Developmental disability”(28.5%) (Figure 8-5).
By looking at the number of clubs with the total number of disability
types, “One type” was the most common (48.5%) followed by “Two types”(26.0%) and “Three types” (12.9%) (Table 8-1).

Figure 8-5 Types of disability (multiple responses)
Table 8-1 Clubs by total number of disability types
Number of types

Number of clubs%

1 Type196

48.5

2 Types105

26.0

3 Types52

12.9

4 Types21

5.2

5 Types6

1.5

6 Types5

1.2

7 Types2

0.5

8 Types0

0.0

9 Types1

0.2

10 Types2

0.5

No response

14

3.5

Total

404

100.0

Note: Types of disabilities are based on the 11 categories in Figure 8-5

118 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(3) Participation of people with disabilities
Regarding the participation of people with disabilities, the most common
was “Participate or participated in general programs without any special
consideration” (65.5%) followed by “Participate or participated in generalprograms with special consideration” (25.3%) and “Participate or participatedin programs aimed at people with disabilities” (13.3%) (Figure 8-6).

Figure 8-6 Participation of people with disabilities (multiple responses)(4) Events participated in by people with disabilities
Regarding the events in which people with disabilities are participatingor had participated, the most common was “Table tennis” (15.1%) followedby “Ground golf” (13.1%), “Stretching/Calisthenics” (11.4%), and “Walking/
Hiking” (10.4%) (Table 8-2).
Table 8-2 Events participated in by people with disabilities (free answer)
Rank

Item

Number of responses (N = 405)%

1

Table tennis

61

15.1

2

Ground golf

53

13.1

3

Stretching/Calisthenics

46

11.4

4

Walking/Hiking

42

10.4

5

Junior sports school

34

8.4

6

Soccer/Futsal

33

8.1

7

Badminton

30

7.4

8

Swimming pool classes/Swimming

26

6.4

9
10

Sport blowgun

23

5.7

Marathon/Track and ﬁeld

22

5.4

Soft Volleyball

22

5.4

Note: a tally of the number of responses of the top five events

COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUBS ■ 119(5) Plans and efforts to support participation of people with disabilities
We asked about efforts to support the participation of people withdisabilities in terms of three categories: the safety aspect, the provisionof information (public relations), and other efforts. Regarding the safety
aspect, the most common was “Understanding health status and the details of
disabilities” (53.8%) followed by “Knowing emergency contact information”(36.1%) and “Acquiring staff knowledge about disabilities” (34.4%) (Figure
8-7).
Regarding the provision of information (public relations), the mostcommon was “Appeals from members (word of mouth)” (57.7%) followedby “Publication in municipal PR information” (32.4%) and “Informationtransmitted through the Internet and websites” (21.8%) (Figure 8-8).

Figure 8-7 Efforts to support participation: the safety aspect(multiple responses)

Figure 8-8 Efforts to support participation:
the provision of information (multiple responses)

120 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN(6) Types of support desired for accepting people with disabilities
When the clubs were asked about which types of support would bedesirable for accepting people with disabilities, the most common response
was “Workshops or classes for club staff on the topics of accepting people
with disabilities and introducing disability sports” (60.0%). It was followedby “Dispatching instructors to the club to conduct disability sports programs(outreach classes, hands-on events, etc.)” (47.2%) and “Dispatching instructors
to club events” (34.8%) (Figure 8-9).

Figure 8-9 Types of support desired (multiple responses)

Appendix

1

References for determining
the level of disability foreach disability ID card

Difﬁculty
walking due
to torso
dysfunction

1 Missing the
thumb and index
1 Missingﬁnger on boththe portion
upper limbs
beyond at
2 Total loss ofleast thefunction in the
Chopart joint
thumb and index
in both lower
ﬁnger on both
limbs
upper limbs
2 Missing at
3 Considerable
least half ofdysfunction in
the thigh andone upper limb
below in one
4 Missing all of
lower limb
the ﬁngers on
3 Total loss of
one upper limb
function in
5 Total loss of
one lowerfunction in all of
limb
the ﬁngers on
one upper limb

Decibel hearing
level in bothears is 90 dB orSeveregreater (cannot
impairment ofunderstand loudthe equilibrium
voices unlesswithin proximityof the auricle)

1 The sum of
the eyesightfor both eyes
is between
0.05 and 0.08
2 The ﬁeld ofvision in botheyes is within
10 degrees
and the loss
ratio of visualfunction forthe ﬁeld ofvision in botheyes is 90%
or greater

Class 2

Class 3

Loss ofspeech or
chewingfunction

1 Difﬁculty
maintaining
a sitting or
standing
position
due to torso
dysfunction
2 Difﬁculty
standing up
due to torso
dysfunction

Decibel hearing
level of each
ear is 100 dBor greater (total
deafness inboth ears)

Cannot sit
due to torso
dysfunction

1 Considerable
dysfunction inboth upper limbs 1 Considerable
dysfunction
2 Missing all of
in both lower
the ﬁngers on
both upper limbs limbs
3 Missing at least 2 Missing atleast half ofhalf of the upper
the lower leg
arm and below
and below in
on one upper
both lower
limb
limbs
4 Total loss offunction in one
upper limb

Torso

1 The sum of
the eyesightfor both eyes
is between
0.02 and 0.04
2 The ﬁeld ofvision in botheyes is within
10 degrees
and the loss
ratio of visualfunction forthe ﬁeld ofvision in botheyes is 95%
or greater

Lower Limbs

Class 1

Upper Limbs

1 Total loss offunction in
1 Total loss ofboth lower
function in both
limbs
upper limbs
2 Missing at
2 Missing theleast half of
portion below
the thigh andthe wrist joint inboth upper limbs below in both
lower limbs

Speech/Chewing
Disability

The sum of
the eyesight(as measured
using auniversal visualacuity chart;
for individuals
with ametropia,
as measured
regardingcorrected
eyesight; same
below) for botheyes is 0.01 or
below

Equilibrium
Disability

VisualImpairment

Hearing
Impairmen

Physical Disability

Class

Hearing/Equilibrium Disability

Considerably
limited inperforming
tasks using theupper limbs indaily life due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaExtremely
limited inperforming
tasks using theupper limbs indaily life due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaInability toperform almost
any task using
the upper limbs
in daily life due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaUpper Limb
Function

Walking islimited toeveryday
activities within
the home due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaWalking is
extremely
limited due to
involuntary
movement or
ataxiaInability towalk due to
involuntary
movement or
ataxiaMobility

Motor Impairment Caused by
Non-Progressive Brain Lesions
Occurring Prior to Infancy

Everyday
activities within
the home areconsiderably
limited dueto heart
dysfunction

One's own
everyday
activities are
extremely
limited dueto heart
dysfunction

Heart
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities within
the home areconsiderably
limited due
to kidney
dysfunction

One's own
everyday
activities are
extremely
limited due
to kidney
dysfunction

KidneyDysfunction

Everyday
activities within
the home areconsiderably
limited due
to respiratoryorgan
dysfunction

One's own
everyday
activities are
extremely
limited due
to respiratoryorgan
dysfunction

Respiratory
Organ
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities within
the home areconsiderably
limited due tourinary bladderor rectal
dysfunction

One's own
everyday
activities are
extremely
limited due tourinary bladderor rectal
dysfunction

Urinary
Bladderor Rectal
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities within
the home areconsiderably
limited due tosmall intestine
dysfunction

One's own
everyday
activities are
extremely
limited due tosmall intestine
dysfunction

Small Intestine
Dysfunction

Liver
Dysfunction

Daily life isconsiderably
limited due toan immune
disordercaused by
HIV (excludes
considerable
limitations
on everyday
activities within
the community)

Everyday
activities are
considerably
limited due toliver dysfunction(excludesconsiderable
limitations
on everyday
activities within
the community)

Everyday
Daily life isactivities are
extremely
extremely
limited due tolimited due
an immune
disorder caused to heart
dysfunction
by HIVAn almostAn almostcompletecompleteinability toinability toaccomplish
accomplish
daily life due
daily life
to an immune
due liverdisorder caused
dysfunction
by HIV

ImmuneDisorderCaused by HIV

Disability Related to the Heart, Kidneys, Respiratory Organs, Urinary Bladder, Rectum, or Small Intestine;to the Immune System due to HIV; or to Liver Function

1. Reference for determining the level of disability for Physical Disability ID cards
Physical Disability Severity Classification Table - Act on Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons, Enforcement Regulations, Schedule 5)

APPENDIX ■ 123

1 The sum of
the eyesightfor both eyes
is between
0.13 and 0.2
2 Missing atleast half of
the ﬁeld ofvision in both
eyesClass 5Hearing
Impairmen

Class 4VisualImpairment

1 Decibel
hearing
level inboth ears
is 80 dBor greater(cannot
1 The sum of
understandthe eyesightnormalfor both eyes
speaking
is between
voices
0.09 and 0.12
unless2 Field of vision
withinin each eye
proximity ofis within 10
the auricle)
degrees
2 Intelligibilityof normal
speechis 50% or
below forboth ears

Class

Considerable
impairmentof theequilibrium

Equilibrium
Disability

Hearing/Equilibrium
Disability

Upper Limbs

1 Missing all of
the toes on both
lower limbs
2 Total loss offunction in all of
the toes on both
lower limbs
3 Missing atleast half of thelower leg andbelow in one
lower limb
4 Considerable
dysfunction in
one lower limb
5 Total loss offunction in the
hip joint or knee
joint of one
lower limb
6 One lower
limb is at least
10 cm shorter
than the healthylimb or is onetenth or more
shorter than thelength of thehealthy limb

Lower Limbs

Torso

1 Considerable
dysfunction in the
thumbs on both upper
1 Considerable
limbs
dysfunction in
2 Considerable
the hip joint or
dysfunction in either
knee joint of
the shoulder joint,
one lower limb
elbow joint, or wrist
joint of one upper limb 2 Total loss of
3 Missing the thumb on function in theankle joint of
one upper limb
4 Total loss of function one lower limb Considerable
torso
3 One lower
in the thumb on one
limb is at least dysfunction
upper limb
5 cm shorter5 Considerable
than the healthy
dysfunction in thelimb or is onethumb and index
ﬁfteenth or
ﬁnger on one upper
more shorter
limb
than the length
6 Considerableof the healthy
dysfunction in threelimb
ﬁngers (including
either the thumb or
index ﬁnger) on one
upper limb

1 Missing the thumb on
both upper limbs
2 Total loss of functionin the thumb on both
upper limbs
3 Total loss of functionin either the shoulder
joint, elbow joint,
or wrist joint of one
upper limb
4 Missing the thumband index ﬁnger on
one upper limb
5 Total loss of functionin the thumb andConsiderable
index ﬁnger on one
speech or
upper limb
chewing
6 Missing three ﬁngers
dysfunction(including either the
thumb or index ﬁnger)
on one upper limb
7 Total loss of functionin three ﬁngers(including either the
thumb or index ﬁnger)
on one upper limb
8 Considerable
dysfunction in four
ﬁngers (including
either the thumb or
index ﬁnger) on one
upper limb

Speech/Chewing
Disability

Physical Disability

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity arehindered due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxia of theupper limbs

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due to
involuntary
movement or
ataxia of theupper limbs

Upper Limb
Function

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity arehindered due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaEveryday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due to
involuntary
movement or
ataxiaMobility

Motor Impairment Caused by
Non-Progressive Brain Lesions
Occurring Prior to Infancy

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited dueto heart
dysfunction

Heart
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due
to kidney
dysfunction

KidneyDysfunction

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due
to respiratoryorgan
dysfunction

Respiratory
Organ
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due tourinary bladderor rectal
dysfunction

Urinary
Bladderor Rectal
Dysfunction

Everyday
activities
within thecommunity are
considerably
limited due tosmall intestine
dysfunction

Small Intestine
Dysfunction

Liver
Dysfunction

EverydayEveryday
activities
activities
within thewithin thecommunity arecommunity are
considerably
considerably
limited due tolimited due
an immune
to liverdisorder caused
dysfunction
by HIV

ImmuneDisorderCaused by HIV

Disability Related to the Heart, Kidneys, Respiratory Organs, Urinary Bladder, Rectum, or Small Intestine;to the Immune System due to HIV; or to Liver Function

124 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPANHearing
Impairmen

1 Decibel hearing
level in bothears is 70 dB orgreater (cannot
Eyesight in one
understandeye is 0.02 or
spokenbelow and 0.6
conversation ator below in
distances of 40
the other eye,cm or greater)
with the sum
2 Decibel hearing
for both eyes
level is 90 dB orexceeding 0.2
greater in one
ear and 50 dB
or greater in theother ear

VisualImpairment

Equilibrium
Disability

Speech/Chewing
Disability

Involuntary
movement
or ataxia ispresent in theupper limbs

Upper Limb
Function

Involuntary
movement
or ataxia ispresent in thelower limbs

Inferior
mobility due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaMobility

Motor Impairment Caused by
Non-Progressive Brain Lesions
Occurring Prior to Infancy

1 Slight dysfunction 1 Considerable
dysfunction in all
in one upper limbof the toes on both
2 Slight dysfunction
lower limbs
in either the
2 Slight dysfunction
shoulder joint,
in one lower limb
elbow joint, or wrist
3 Slight d ysfunction
joint of one upperin either the hip
limb
joint, knee joint, or
3 Slight dysfunction
ankle joint of one
in the ﬁngers onlower limb
one upper limb
4 Missing all of the
4 Considerable
toes on one lower
dysfunction in two
limb
ﬁngers (including
the index ﬁnger) on 5 Total loss offunction in all of
one upper limb
the toes on one
5 Missing the middle
lower limb
ﬁnger, ring ﬁnger,
and little ﬁnger on 6 One lower limb
is at least 3 cm
one upper limb
shorter than the
6 Total loss ofhealthy limb or isfunction in the
one-twentieth or
middle ﬁnger, ring
more shorter thanﬁnger, and little
ﬁnger on one upper the length of thehealthy limb
limb

Torso

Inferior
upper limb
function due
to involuntary
movement or
ataxiaLower Limbs

1 Considerable
dysfunction in the
1 Missing the
thumb on one
portion beyond at
upper limb
least the Lisfranc
2 Missing two ﬁngers
joint in one lower(including the index
limb
ﬁnger) on one
2 Considerable
upper limb
dysfunction in the
3 Total loss ofankle joint of one
function in two
lower limb
ﬁngers (including
the index ﬁnger) on
one upper limb

Upper Limbs

Physical Disability

Heart
Dysfunction

KidneyDysfunction

Respiratory
Organ
Dysfunction

Urinary
Bladderor Rectal
Dysfunction
Small Intestine
Dysfunction

ImmuneDisorderCaused by HIV

Liver
Dysfunction

Disability Related to the Heart, Kidneys, Respiratory Organs, Urinary Bladder, Rectum, or Small Intestine;to the Immune System due to HIV; or to Liver Function

Note :
1. ‌If multiple disabilities from the same class are present, assign one class above that class. However, if that multiple disability is clearly specified in this table, then its corresponding class will be assigned.
2. Cases where two or more physical disabilities corresponding to the items in Class 7 are present will be considered to be Class 6.
3. In cases where two or more disabilities from different classes are present, a class higher than those classes can be assigned after considering the severity of the disabilities.
4. "Missing a finger" means missing the portion at least beyond the interphalangeal joint for the thumb and the portion at least beyond the distal interphalangeal joint for the other fingers.
5. "Finger dysfunction" means impairment beyond the metacarpophalangeal joint, and includes impairment of the movement of opposition in the case of the thumb.
6. The length of a residual upper or lower limb is defined as the measured usable length (as measured from the armpit for upper limbs and from the height of the ischial tuberosity for thighs).
7. When measuring the length of a lower limb, measure from the anterior iliac spine to the lower edge of the inner ankle.

Class 7

Class 6Class

Hearing/Equilibrium Disability

APPENDIX ■ 125

126 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN‌Reference for determining the level of disability for Special Needs ID cards
2.
Because each municipality has its own system for issuing special needs
ID cards, category names and criteria may differ somewhat by jurisdiction.
Reference for determining disability category:・ M ost severe (IQ<20): requires continuous assistance for every aspect ofdaily life
・ Severe (IQ<35): requires continuous assistance for daily life
・ Moderate (IQ<50): requires assistance for daily life・ Light (IQ<70): can accomplish the tasks of daily life (IQ<75 for somemunicipalities)
3. ‌Reference for determining the level of disability for Mental Health andWelfare ID cards
These identification cards are for individuals with some form of mental
disorder (including epilepsy and developmental disabilities) which places longterm limitations on their daily or social lives. This covers all mental disorders
including the ones below:
・ Schizophrenia
・ Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder・ Epilepsy
・ Binge addiction or dependency on drugs or alcohol
・ Higher brain dysfunction・ ‌Developmental disability (autism, learning disabilities, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, etc.)
・ Other mental disorders (such as stress-related disabilities)
However, these identification cards are not intended for individuals
with intellectual disabilities who do not suffer from any of the above mental
disorders, as there is a separate ID card system that covers those disabilities(individuals with both intellectual disabilities and mental disorders can receive
both ID cards). Also, at least six months must have elapsed since the initialdiagnosis of the mental disorder to be eligible for an ID card. Mental Healthand Welfare ID Cards are categorized from Class-1 to Class-3.
・ Class-1 : the mental disorder is at a level that makes it impossible toaccomplish the tasks of daily life.
・ C lass-2 : the mental disorder is at a level that places considerable
limitations on daily life or requires things that add such limitations.
・ Class-3 : the mental disorder is at a level that places some limitations on
daily or social life or requires things that add such limitations.

APPENDIX ■ 127

Figure
1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
1-6
1-7
1-8
1-9

11
12
12
13
13
14
16
17

1-16

Child or adult with a disability…………………………………………
Age……………………………………………………………………
Gender…………………………………………………………………
Type of disability………………………………………………………
Ratio of single/multiple disabilities……………………………………
Possession of a disabled ID card………………………………………
Age at which the disability occurred…………………………………
Engagement in sports/recreation in the past year………………………
Engagement in sports/recreation in the past year(by disability type)……………………………………………………
Number of days engaged in sports/recreation in the past year…………
Main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation………………………
Companions when engaging in sports/recreation………………………
Current level of participation in sports/recreation……………………
Current level of participation in sports/recreation……………………
Current level of participation in sports/recreation(by disability type)……………………………………………………
Barriers to engaging in sports/recreation………………………………

2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-8

Targeted schools (by single/multiple disabilities)……………………
Targeted schools (by disability types)…………………………………
Targeted schools (by school type)……………………………………
Responding schools (by disability types)………………………………
Number of children/students…………………………………………
Opportunities for sports outside of physical education………………
Graduates who participate in school sports clubs……………………
School facilities for exercise/sports activities…………………………

34
34
34
35
35
36
43
44

3-1
3-2
3-3
3-4
3-5
3-6
3-7
3-8
3-9

Facility capacity………………………………………………………
Average age of facility admittees………………………………………
Events related to sports/recreation……………………………………
Participation in external sports/recreation competitions………………
Location of sports/recreation activities………………………………
Sports/recreation activity supervisor…………………………………
Management strategies…………………………………………………
Support and collaboration network……………………………………
Interaction with disabled people outside the facility…………………

48
49
50
51
52
52
53
54
54

1-10
1-11
1-12
1-13
1-14
1-15

17
18
25
26
27
28
28
29

128 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN
3-10 Challenges related to sports/recreation activities……………………… 55
4-1
4-2
4-3
4-4
4-5

Categories of disability sports facilities………………………………
Trends in the number of facilities………………………………………
Administrative entities…………………………………………………
Facilities adjoined……………………………………………………
Number of adjoining facilities …………………………………………

60
61
62
63
64

5-1
5-2
5-3
5-4
5-5
5-6
5-7
5-8

Instructors by qualification type (overall / by age group)……………
Purpose of obtaining a qualification……………………………………
Benefits of obtaining a qualification……………………………………
Frequency of activities in FY2011……………………………………
Main activity locations…………………………………………………
Main role at activities…………………………………………………
Anxiety factors when instructing………………………………………
Problems when instructing ……………………………………………

75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82

<Prefectures>
6-1
6-2
6-3
6-4

Primary department in charge of disability sports……………………
Disability sports projects implemented in FY 2013……………………
Implementation of three projects in FY 2013…………………………
Collaborating organizations for disability sports
competitions or events…………………………………………………
6-5 Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events……
6-6 Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes………………
6-7 Implemented activities at disability sports classes……………………
6-8 Collaborating organizations for training courses………………………
6-9 Implementation of other projects………………………………………
6-10 Improvement of accessibility at sports facilities………………………
6-11 Reorganization or transfer of control of departmentsin charge of disability sports…………………………………………

86
86
87
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
93

APPENDIX ■ 129<Municipalities>
6-12
6-13
6-14
6-15
6-16
6-17
6-18
6-19
6-20
6-21
6-22

8-1
8-2
8-3
8-4
8-5
8-6
8-7
8-8
8-9

Primary department in charge of disability sports…………………… 94
Disability sports projects implemented in FY 2013…………………… 94
Implementation of three projects in FY 2013………………………… 95
Collaborating organizations for disability sports
competitions or events………………………………………………… 95
Implemented activities at disability sports competitions or events…… 96
Collaborating organizations for disability sports classes……………… 97
Implemented activities at disability sports classes (top 20)…………… 98
Collaborating organizations for training courses……………………… 99
Implementation of other projects……………………………………… 100
Improvement of accessibility at sports facilities ……………………… 101
Reorganization or transfer of control of departmentsin charge of disability sports………………………………………… 101
Number of members in responding clubs…………………………… 114
Activity locations……………………………………………………… 115
Former or current participation of people with disabilities…………… 115
Circumstances behind participation…………………………………… 116
Types of disability…………………………………………………… 117
Participation of people with disabilities……………………………… 118
Efforts to support participation: the safety aspect…………………… 119
Efforts to support participation: the provision of information………… 119
Types of support desired ……………………………………………… 120

130 ■ DISABILITY SPORTS IN JAPAN

Table
1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
1-6
1-7
1-8
1-9
1-10

Lving region……………………………………………………………
Age……………………………………………………………………
Gender…………………………………………………………………
Possession of a disabled ID card (by disability type)…………………
Number of days engaged in sports/recreation in the past year…………
Sport/activity participated in in the past year (overall)………………
Sport/activity participated in in the past year (7–19)…………………
Sport/activity participated in in the past year (20+)……………………
Number of clubs registered with the JSCA……………………………
Main purpose of engaging in sports/recreation(by disability type)……………………………………………………
1-11 Companions when engaging in sports/recreation(by disability type)……………………………………………………
1-12 Barriers to engaging in sports/recreation(by disability type)……………………………………………………

9
10
10
15
19
21
22
23
24

2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7

Opportunities for sports outside of physical education………………
Activities implemented within sports clubs……………………………
Activities implemented within sports clubs (visual only)……………
Activities implemented within sports clubs (hearing only)……………
Activities implemented within sports clubs (intellectual only)………
Activities implemented within sports clubs (physical only)…………
Activities implemented within sports clubs (hospital school only)……

37
39
40
40
41
42
42

3-1
3-2

Average number of employees (by facility capacity)………………… 48
Number of facility admittees(by disability type and facility capacity)……………………………… 49

4-1
4-2
4-3
4-4
4-5

Breakdown of designated administrators………………………………
Staffing of personnel certified in disability sports instruction…………
Projects implemented…………………………………………………
Relationship with disability sports associations………………………
Relationship with rehabilitation centers………………………………

25
26
30

62
65
66
66
67

APPENDIX ■ 131
5-1
5-2
5-3

Overview of JPSA’s Para-Sports Instructors………………………… 72
Number of registered Para-Sports instructors in FY2011…………… 73
Respondents attributes (overall・gender・age・gender×age)……… 74

7-1
7-2
7-3

Number of participants in NSFPD (2001-2014)……………………… 106
Official sports of the NSFPD………………………………………… 107
List of NSFPD sports (by disability type)…………………………… 108

8-1
8-2

Clubs by total number of disability types……………………………… 117
Events participated in by people with disabilities…………………… 118