History

1947 May 25 JFD is founded at Ikaho Hot Springs resort in Gunma Prefecture
1948 May 1 The first issue of the Japanese Deaf News is published
May 10 JFD holds its 1st National Congress in Kyoto
1950 May 10 JFD is officially incorporated and registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare
1959 Oct. 7 JFD resolves at its 9th National Congress to join the World Federation of the Deaf
1966 Nov. 25 The 1st National Debate Meeting of Deaf Youth is held in Kyoto
1967 Aug. 13 Delegates from JFD are sent for the first time to the 5th World Congress of the Deaf in Poland
Oct. 23 The 1st National Games for the Deaf are held in Tokyo
1968 Feb. 5 The 1st National Winter Games of the Deaf are held in Gunma Prefecture
March 9 JFD Board decides to form a campaign headquarters to organize the movement to give the Deaf the right to obtain drivers’ licenses
1969 May 11 JFD’s Youth Section is established at the JFD National Congress in Kumamoto
Oct. 25 JFD publishes "Watashitachi no Shuwa," a textbook on Japanese Sign Language
1971 Aug. 15 JFD moves its head office from Osaka to Tokyo
Nov. 21 The 1st National Deaf Women’s Conference is held in Kyoto
1972 April Sunday classes to promote social integration of deaf adults begin
1973 June 19 30,000 petition signatures are collected and submitted to the Diet to revise the Traffic Law prohibiting the Deaf from driving
Aug. 28 The Police Agency sends an official notice confirming the right of deaf persons to drive if they are wearing hearing aids
1975 March 22 Eiichi Takada, then JFD Secretary General, addresses the Lower House Budget Committee on Article 11 of the Civil Code and other deaf issues
May 1 JFD’s Women’s Section is established in Aichi
1976 Nov. 27 JFD begins giving certification exams for sign interpreters
1977 Feb. 1 JFD starts a campaign to collect signatures of approval on four major issues:
1) revision of the Traffic Law for the granting of driver’s licenses; 2) revision of Civil Code Article 11; 3) official recognition and support for Sign Language interpreting service systems; and 4) establishment of a center for people who are deaf or have speaking impediments.
Oct. 20 JFD publishes a quarterly magazine named “The Deaf Movement”
1979 April JFD is commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish a sign interpreter instructors’ training program and to conduct studies on the standard sign language
Dec. 11 Revision of Article 11 in the Civil Code (to delete the stipulation that describes blind persons and deaf person as quasi-incompetent) is passed in a unanimous at the 90th Extraordinary Diet. Enforcement on June 20, 1980.
1981 April JFD is commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to set up a Videocassette Library Project
1982 Nov. 29 JFD is commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to set up a committee to investigate and examine Sign Language interpreter services
1985 May 27 The “Research Report Concerning Sign Language Interpreting Services” is presented to the Ministry of Health and Welfare
August 1.2 million copies of "I Love Communication," a pamphlet on Sign Language communication, are distributed
1986 June 19 A deaf political candidate is not allowed to have his campaign speeches interpreted. This sparks a nationwide campaign to allow Sign Language interpretation for election campaign speeches.
1987 July WFD decides at the 10th World Congress of the Deaf in Finland to hold the next World Congress in Japan.
1988 May 15 JFD’s Senior Section is formed in Okayama
May 20 “The Research Report on Issues such as the Standardization of the Certification Exams for Sign Language Interpreters” is presented to the Ministry of Health and Welfare
1990 July The Deaf Movement Quarterly changes its name to Mimi Quarterly
1991 July 5 The 11th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf takes place in Tokyo
1993 April JFD is commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote and spread Sign Language
1994 Nov. 2 JFD holds a Leadership Training Seminar for Asian Deaf Persons
1995 Nov. 13 JFD begins the “Leadership Training of Asian and Oceanian Deaf Persons” under the sponsorship of the Japan International Cooperation Agency
Dec. 9 The first experimental use of a communications satellite to broadcast television programs made exclusively for the Deaf
1996 July 19 A petition on promotion for TV close-captioned broadcasting is adopted at the Diet.
1997 June 11 JFD commemorates its 50th Anniversary at the 45th National Congress
June 15 JFD publishes the Japanese-Japanese Sign Language Dictionary
1998 Oct. 1 A nationwide campaign to revise discriminatory laws begins and over 2,220,000 signatures are collected.
1999 Feb. 10 A central meeting on for aiming to revise laws which discriminate against deaf people is held at Tokyo.
2000 March 29 JFD submits the signatures collected in the above campaign to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the House of Councilors.
May 19 JFD submits the signatures collected in the campaign to revise discriminatory laws to the Assistant Manager of Headquarters of Promoting the Welfare of Disabled Persons (a position held additionally by the Minister of Health and Welfare).
Sep.10 JFD holds a nationwide meeting for aiming to revise laws which discriminate against deaf people. A deaf Physician is invited from U.S.
2001 June 13 A law bill of “revision a part of Road Traffic Act” is resolved at the Upper House plenary session. They abolish the Clause 88 that had discriminated against the disabled.
June 22 A law bill of "revision of several laws, including Medical Practitioners Act, so as to improve the reasons for disqualification regarding the disabled" is carried. Revise of 27 laws and 31 systems eliminate the disabled-specific absolute grounds for disqualification.
July 17 For the first time, a license to practice pharmacy is given to a deaf person.
2002 Jan. 31 The National Center of Sign Language Education is established in Kyoto.
2003 July 1 The charity drive for facilities improvement of the National Center of Sign Language Education is started.
2004 Aug. 30 The Community Sagano is opened in the National Center of Sign Language Education.
March JFD breaks away from the National Federation of Organization for the Disabled Persons.
Oct. 31 The Japan Disability Forum (JDF) is established and JFD joins.
2005 Oct. 31 The “Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act” is enacted.
2006 April 1 The “Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act” goes into force.
April 13 The National Police Agency decides to revise the traffic law so as to give the driver license even to persons with total deafness.
Dec. 13 The plenary of the UN General Assembly adopts by consensus the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which defines "signed languages are included in language". It means sign language is acknowledged across the world as one of languages.
2007 April 1 Special needs education system starts. School Education Act is revised and schools for the blind, the deaf and the disabled changes their names to "Special-needs schools". 　Opposition campaign has been conducted against the change of designations of schools for the deaf as well as unification or parallel establishment of schools for the deaf with schools for other disabilities. Currently, most of schools use the term as Special Need Education School for the Deaf to show the type of disability.
Sep. 28 Japanese government signs the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
2008 June 1 Road Traffic Act is revised. A deaf person is allowed to get driver’s license without hearing aids if he uses a wide mirror and a marker to show his deafness.
2009 June 6 Campaign for national screening of "YUZURIHA", JFD’s 60-year anniversary movie, is launched.
Dec. 8 Headquarters to Promote Reform of the System for Persons with Disabilities is established under Cabinet Office.
2010 Jan. 12 The 1st Conference to Promote Reform of the System for Persons with Disabilities is held.
May 31 National screening of JFD’s 60-year anniversary movie "YUZURIHA" is ended. The movie was shown at 517 places and seen by more than 150,000 persons.
August JFD starts the campaign of “We Love Communication” and distributes the pamphlet “We Love Communication” to enact “Information Access & Communication Act (Tentative)”
2011 March 11 The Great East Japan Earthquake – JFD launches the Central Headquarters for Disaster Relief for Deaf People in the Great East Japan Earthquake and begins to assist the disaster victims.
July 29 “Basic Act for the Persons with Disabilities” is revised and “Language (including Sign Language)” is stated and enacted. (Promulgation on August 5)
Sep. 27 JFD collects 1,163,876 signatures with the "We Love Communication" and submits them to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councilors and the Cabinet Office. Over 210,000 copies of the pamphlet "We Love Communication" are distributed.
October The pamphlet “Sign Language Act for All” is issued to enact “Japanese Sign Language Act (Tentative)”. Forums and learning sessions start around the nation.
2012 April Instead of "Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act", JFD demands another new act and takes the immediate claim action to members of the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors.
April 27
– May 6		 “2012 World Deaf Table Tennis Championships” takes place at Tokyo.
June 10 Along with change of organization of JFD, a new "Expert Committee System" launches at the 60th National Congress, where a record number of over 5,000 participants gathers.
June 20 “Comprehensive Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act” is resolved and enacted. (Enforcement on April 1, 2013)
2013 March 9 JFD forms Headquarters for Promotion of Legislation for Japanese Sign language. (Approved by JFD Board)
April 1 JFD acquires General Incorporated Foundation as a new status of legal entities under law revision.
June 13 Amendment of “Act on promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities” is resolved and enacted.
June 19 Act on elimination of disability discrimination is resolved and enacted.
Oct. 11 The first ordinance on Japanese Sign Language is enforced at Tottori Prefecture in Japan.
Nov. 22
– Nov. 24		 JFD holds "Information Accessibility Forum" at Akihabara, Tokyo.
2014 Jan. 20 Japanese Government deposits the ratification instrument of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
April 1 The council in Ishikari city, Hokkaido, approved the Basic Ordinance on Japanese Sign Language on Dec. 1, 2013, and put it into force on Apr 1, 2014, for the first time among municipalities in Japan.
Oct. 22 A deaf accuser reaches an advantageous settlement with the city administration of her resident area at the court over refusal of dispatch of sign language interpreters.
Dec. 25 Over 1400 municipal councils adopts the arguments in writing (as a kind of petition) requesting Japanese Government to enact “Japanese Sign Language Act”. 100% of 47 prefectures in Japan adopt the arguments in writing.
2015 June 11 A commemoration of the foundation of JFD in 1947 is built at its birthplace in Ikaho Hot Springs resort prior to the 63th JFD National Congress in Gunma.
Aug. 27
– Aug. 28		 JFD holds the nationwide meeting – Summer Rally – for legislation of Japanese Sign Language Act.
Dec. 11 JFD holds the nationwide meeting – Winter Rally – for legislation of Japanese Sign Language Act.
99.9% of municipalities in Japan adopts the arguments in writing requesting Japanese Government to enact "Japanese Sign Language Act". Only one town is left for adoption.
Dec. 12
– Dec 13		 JFD holds "Information Accessibility Forum 2015" at Akihabara, Tokyo.
2016 March 3 Arguments in writing for “Japanese Sign Language Act” adopted by 100% of local municipal councils throughout the country