Sunday, October 31, 2010

In Japan, 10,000 disabled people rally for better government support

From Mainichi Japan:

About 10,000 disabled people rallied in Tokyo's Hibiya on Oct. 29, calling for new support measures.

The participants gathered from across the nation at the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall in Chiyoda Ward before taking to the streets calling for measures to replace the notorious Services and Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, which was criticized for increasing the financial burden on the disabled.

"In considering new comprehensive welfare legislation, we need to secure transparency, fairness and financial resources," said Mitsunori Okamoto, parliamentary secretary to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, as he addressed the rally.

"We want every disabled person to be assured of the right to live in their local community without discrimination," a visually-impaired participant said as a representative of the attendants.