Asian Deaf Friendship Fund Supports Deaf Schools in Myanmar

Posted on February 1, 2006 in international activities, Japanese Deaf News

from February 2006 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

Gifts of TV Sets, DVD Players and School Supplies

Pres. Ando receives a present from students in return for his gift of TV and DVD sets, and
school supplies. (National School for the Deaf in Mandalay)

The Japanese Federation of the Deaf dispatched its President, Mr. Toyoki Ando, and members of the staff to 3 countries in Asia from November 25 to December 3, 2005. The delegation visited Myanmar and Cambodia and discussed future directions of assistance utilizing the Asian Deaf Friendship Fund (ADFF). In Thailand, they visited the Asia- Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) and the office of the National Association of the Deaf in Thailand (NADT) for exchanges of views.

Two Schools in Myanmar

President Ando and his staff entered Myanmar on November 25, 2005. They visited the Myanmar National School for the Deaf in Mandalay on the 26 and the 27. The School was established in 1987 with roughly 50 students. Now the school has 210 students, 140 commuting and 70 boarding. There are 24 teachers, of which 5 are Deaf graduates of the same school.

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Video Conference of the Deaf Between Japan and Uzbekistan

Posted on January 15, 2006 in international activities, Japanese Deaf News

from 15 January 2006 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

JICA’s Distant Communication Technology Enables Communication in Sign Language

Japanese Participants: (from left) Miyuki Nakagawa, Takuji Wada,
Mizuho Kajiwara, Hisako Hirai､Kaori Shimizu
(JICA Tokyo International Center, Dec.9, 2005)

A video conference connecting Japan and Uzbekistan via ISDN line was conducted successfully and deaf participants from the two countries enjoyed discussion in sign language. The video conference was made possible by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s distant technical cooperation project (JICA-Net). The conference was held on the evening of Dec.9, 2005 at JICA Tokyo International Center with 5 participants from each country.

Director Takeo Ogura of WFD Regional Secretariat in Asia/Pacific (RSA/P) facilitated the video conference. Mr. Yasushi Inaba, the Director of the Uzbek-Japanese Human Resource Development Center, gave an opening speech in which he said, “We offer a computer course for the Deaf at the Uzbek-Japanese Human Resource Development Center. The students have been requesting an opportunity to exchange opinions with Japanese Deaf people. I am glad that we could finally make it happen with the video conferencing system.” Participants at both venues welcomed the speech by waving their hands at the same time on the screen.

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Guarantee Communication and Support for Living At All Times and In All Situations!

Posted on January 1, 2006 in meetings and events, Japanese Deaf News

from 1 January 2006 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

436 Participants Gather for National Rally

Issues on needs assessment of people with hearing impairments

Participants listen attentively to discussions on the new law.

A total of 436 participants from all 47 prefectures in Japan attended the rally. The venue was practically packed and heated up by the energy of the participants.

The day started with an opening statement by Mr. Toyoki Ando, Director of Central Headquarters. After a report from Mr. Fujisaburo Ishino, General Secretary of the Central Headquarters, Mr. Hajime Tamura of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Assistant General Manager of the Social Participation Division of the Department of Health and Social Welfare for People with Disabilities and Social Support Bureau) gave a presentation on the “Law to support independent living of persons with disabilities” and its enforcement. Mr. Tamura explained that local administrations would be responsible for deciding the scale and budget allotment for executing the communication support program. He also explained the importance of needs assessment of beneficiaries, and emphasized that the role of the central government should not be that of a leader but a partner with local administrations in promoting social welfare programs. In response to a question from one of the participants regarding the social recognition and guarantee of sign language as a language, he agreed that there is a need to secure a support system for communication guarantee, and suggested a rearrangement of the support system to clarify “who is responsible and what means are going to be taken to guarantee communication support.”

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5th Japan Seminar on Sign Language Studies

Posted on July 1, 2005 in meetings and events, Japanese Deaf News

from July 2005 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

Learning from the Philippines

Dr. Liza B. Martinez giving her lecture

The “5th Japan Seminar on Sign Language Studies” (hosted by the Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies [JISLS] of the Japanese Federation of the Deaf [JFD]) was held on June 12 at the National Center of Sign Language Education (at Community Sagano in Kyoto), attended by about 60 people from all over Japan.

After greetings from the representative of the hosting organization [JISLS] and the President of the local Deaf Association, the honorary guest, Ms. Liza B. Martinez, Ph.D., Director of the Philippine Deaf Resource Center (hearing), gave her keynote presentation entitled, “Filipino Sign Language: Understanding the Past and Looking to the Future”. In this presentation, Dr. Martinez introduced the experiences of the Philippine Deaf community in Deaf research and advocacy.

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The 29th Deaf Information Center in Japan Opened in Hyogo

Posted on June 1, 2005 in other, Japanese Deaf News

from June 2005 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

The First Joint Operation Between a Prefecture and City
1000 People Gather For Opening Ceremony

Tape cutting by (from left), President Kisaburo Suma, Deputy Mayor Hideo
Kajimoto, Governor Toshizo Ido, Prefectural Assembly Member Ryosuke
Hara, and City Assembly Member Kenzo Tanaka

On May 9th, “Hyogo Prefectural Center for the Deaf”, the 29th information service facility for the persons with hearing disabilities throughout Japan was opened. Roughly 1000 people gathered at the second floor of the Nada Citizens’ Center in Kobe for the opening ceremony and festivities. Many expressed high hopes in their opening remarks for this unprecedented joint project between prefecture and city.

The Center fulfills the following functions:

  • to support self-reliance and social participation of the Deaf
  • to provide information in times of emergencies or disasters
  • to gather and to provide information, consultation and training

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And Now… 4 Years From the Elimination of Disqualification Clauses…

Posted on May 1, 2005 in legislation, Japanese Deaf News

from May 2005 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

Disbandment of the Headquarters for Revision of Laws Discriminating Persons with Hearing Disabilities

Representatives from 9 organizations attending the disbandment
ceremony of the Headquarters on March 25, 2005 (above), Report of the
activities of the Headquarters (left), Mimi Quarterly Vol.106 features on
Deaf people who are active in medical and other fields (right)

Disqualification clauses are articles of laws which stipulate that deaf people are not qualified to obtain licenses for certain occupations, etc. Some even prohibit the Deaf from taking the qualifying examinations. In June 2001, most of those disqualification clauses were eliminated as a result of a nationwide movement led by the “Headquarters for Revision of Laws Discriminating Persons with Hearing Disabilities”, established in partnership with different organizations related to persons with hearing disabilities in 1998.

On March 25th 2005, the disbandment ceremony of the Headquarters was held near Tokyo Station. However, questions remain as to whether all discrimination against persons with hearing disabilities have really been abolished. We take this opportunity to reflect back on the progress of this movement.

Standing Up for the Realization of “Full Participation and Equality”

From 1996 to 1997, the Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD), the promoter of the above Headquarters, celebrated its 50th anniversary and initiated the “National Caravan of the Deaf for Discussion with Governors”. JFD made an appeal to the Japanese public and administrators for early realization of “Full participation and equality” of the Deaf in society, in partnership with other organizations related to the Deaf. They also requested the revision of discriminatory laws which stipulate that “Deaf People cannot obtain qualification”. These laws include the Road Traffic Law Article 88 and other laws prohibiting Deaf people from obtaining licenses in the medical and other specialized fields.

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Reconfirming the Significance of an International Convention on Disability

Posted on September 1, 2004 in Convention on Persons with Disabilities, Japanese Deaf News

from September 2004 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

International Seminar on the Convention Held in Kyoto

The United Nations is currently undertaking the process of elaborating a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. On August 9th, an international seminar on this convention was held in Kyoto. This was the first such seminar on the convention to be held in the western part of Japan. Updates on movements related to the convention were reported, and the participants reconfirmed the significance of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

JFD President Ando Participates as a Panelist

Pres. Toyoki Ando of JFD (standing in center), presenting his views from the panel.

The International Seminar on Recent Movements Toward the “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” was held on August 9th at the National Center of Sign Language Education in Kyoto City, hosted by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities (JSRDP), with cooperation from the Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Preparation Committee. Discussions at this Seminar were focused on such issues as the definition of “disability”, and the understanding of “reasonable accommodations” by which persons with disabilities can achieve equality.

Representatives of the Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Preparation Committee confirmed the need for action based on sound principles in order to attain a convention of high quality in as short a time as possible. To achieve this purpose, it was agreed the Japan Disability Forum, which is still in its preparatory stage, would be formally established in autumn. JDF will aim to develop its advocacy movements and endeavor to win nationwide support toward the convention.

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The Common Desire of the World Deaf Community… The Official Recognition of Sign Language in Legislation

Posted on August 25, 2004 in sign language act, Online Resources

By Eiichi Takada – August 25, 2004

(English translation based on an article which appeared in the Oct. 25, 2004 edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun Newspaper)

The United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on a “Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities” is now in the process of discussing the contents of the convention. The Fourth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee, held from August 23 to September 3, was attended, not only by the Japanese government delegation, but also by a delegation of Japanese disability-related NGOs.

As the common desire of all the Deaf persons or persons with profound hearing disabilities throughout the world, the Deaf community is now focusing on the need to define sign languages as full-fledged languages.

It is true that sign language is becoming better understood by society at large, and people no longer look at us with curiosity when we are signing in public. Sign language often appears even in TV dramas. Most people, however, mistakenly believe that sign language is an alternative form of expressing spoken languages. Sign languages are still discriminated in that they are not recognized to be languages, equal to spoken languages.

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A Bolt From the Blue – Unexpected heavy downpour ravaged 28 families of the Deaf in 3 prefectures of Niigata, Fukushima and Fukui

Posted on August 1, 2004 in disaster relief, Japanese Deaf News

from August 2004 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

Mobile phones prove to be most useful, and fax machines less so

A torrential rainfall caused by the active seasonal rain front ravaged three prefectures of Niigata, Fukushima and Fukui. As of July 26, it is confirmed that there were no injuries to any Deaf people or to sign interpreters. 28 families of the Deaf in Niigata and Fukushima, were however, reported to be flooded above or below floor level.

Spending a night on top of a car roof

Home of Mr Katsuya Haga, chairman of Sanjo
Deaf Welfare Society in Niigata. The flood
water reached the level where he is pointing at.

In Niigata Prefecture, damages concentrated in the cities of Sanjo and Mitsuke, and the town of Nakanoshima. Casualties among the Deaf were 16 floodings above floor level and 2 below. Many Deaf people live in Sanjo City. Every road there was covered with water up to knee or to chest level and roads leading to Sanjo were so congested that it was difficult to reach the devastated area. In such circumstances, leaders of the local sign language study group took the initiative in confirming the safety of the Deaf in the community.

Many facsimile machines went underwater and became useless, while sending and receiving text messages through mobile phones proved most useful in confirming safety and exchanging information. On the other hand, people without mobile phones spent worrisome days, not having means to communicate with others.

The first floor of the home of Mr Katsuya Haga, chairman of Sanjo Deaf Welfare Society, was flooded. A new facsimile machine was brought to his home by the Niigata Deaf Association. A deaf person who spent a night on the roof of his car submerged underwater said, “My wet body became cold and it was scary because it was so dark around.”

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Aspirations and Dreams for A Better Deaf Education

Posted on May 1, 2004 in education, Japanese Deaf News

from May 2004 Issue of Japanese Deaf News, JFD’s monthly newspaper:

Every year, schools throughout the country employ new teachers to prepare for the new school year (which begins on April 1 in Japan). A survey has revealed that this year, at least 12 Deaf teachers have been employed by the public education system to teach in Deaf schools throughout Japan. It is the first time in history that over 10 Deaf teachers were newly hired in a single year.

12 New Deaf Teachers to Start Teaching in Deaf Schools

The big news is that Deaf teachers have been employed for the first time by 6 prefectures: Iwate, Nagano, Yamanashi, Gifu, Miyazaki, and Nagasaki. Aichi Prefecture has also hired a Deaf teacher for the first time in 70 years. On the island of Kyushu, Deaf teachers specializing in Physical Education and English have been employed.

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