Basic Programme for Persons with Disabilities

Foreword

In 1982, Japan established "The Long-Term Plan of Measures for Persons with Disabilities", the first long-term agenda to serve as a national action plan for the "United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992)". In 1992, Japan established "The New Long-Term Plan of Measures for Persons with Disabilities" (hereinafter called "The New Long-Term Plan") succeeding to the Plan of 1982, covering a period of approximately 10 years from 1993. The New Long-Term Plan was subsequently designated as a basic program for persons with disabilities under the "Basic Law for Persons with Disabilities" amended in December 1993. Measures for Persons with Disabilities in Japan have been steadily promoted in line with these Long-Term Plans under the concept of normalization and rehabilitation.In 1995, "Plan for Persons with Disabilities" covering priority measures to be implemented in the second half of "The New Long-Term Plan", in which targets were incorporated for the first time in the area of measures for persons with disabilities.

"Law for Promoting the Construction of Special Buildings to be utilized smoothly by the Aged and the Disabled (a 1994 law numbered 44)" and "Law for Promoting Easily Accessible Public Transportation Infrastructure for the Aged and the Disabled (a 2000 law numbered 68)" were enacted. According to these laws, institutional bases for making accessible buildings and transportation facilities were developed, and disqualifications that hindered social integration of persons with disabilities were reconsidered. From 2003, measures for self-decision by persons with disabilities will be strengthened to change utilization of welfare services from a type of administrative measure to a contracted measure based on the choices of the service recipient.

On the other hand, following the conclusion of the "United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, 1983-1992", UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) adopted in 1992 "The Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002" for the purpose of further implementing the "United Nations World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons" in the region of Asia and Pacific. UNESCAP members and associate members adopted resolution of 58/4 of May 2002, which was recommended mainly by Japan, by which it proclaimed the extension of "The Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002" for another decade, 2003-2012. At High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002 held at Otsu city, Shiga Prefecture in October 2002, the "Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific" was adopted. In transition of socio-economic system such as aging and IT revolution, Japan should promote a drastic structural reform in each sector of economy, finance, society, and administration so that the society full of vigour, individual purpose, security, and safety can be realized.

Our measures for persons with disabilities in twenty-first century should be established in consideration of international initiatives and ideal image of our future society. This "Basic Programme for Persons with Disabilities" (hereinafter called "the Basic Programme"), based on the concept of "rehabilitation and normalization" succeeding to the "New Long-Term Plan" as guide principles providing the basic directions of measures for persons with disabilities to be implemented in ten years from fiscal year of 2003 through 2012 for the purpose of further promoting social integration and participation of persons with disabilities.