Being disabled in Japan

10 comments

1. I think the disabled are looked down upon here. I’ve never seen them working in a school setting. Maybe there’s a different type of job you can find here, but teaching isn’t the one.

   Alt work is more of an assistant teacher. You generally correct worksheets, do pronunciation and help the students in real time. It would be very hard to do this while being blind.

   If you want to come to Japan, research on other jobs that foreign blind people can do. I sometimes see foreign guests show up to the schools to do a presentation, usually in Japanese about a serious topic. Maybe there’s a company who does that but in English to international schools.

   Good luck though.

2. Just apply and see what happens. I wouldn’t take “no” as an answer so easily.

   Could you stand in front of a classroom in your country and talk to a bunch of kids without issue?

3. My disabilities are invisible, but also mean that I cannot drive. I basically just keep them secret. I think if you don’t need any major accommodations you’ll be okay.

4. I know of one blind ALT, so I don’t see why you couldn’t potentially be an ALT if you are legally blind. Many regions of Japan have reasonably decent public transportation, but as you recognize, assignments where driving is required are going to be a non-starter.

   The only real obstacles for you will be if you cannot read or mark papers when asked.

5. I’ve met a legally blind ALT and a partially deaf ALT. So, certainly possible.

   The legally blind ALT lived here many years, spouse, kids, etc. They qualified for social programs related to their blindness and had other help.

   There were some issues with the schools occasionally. They taught at elementary and requested a student or two escort them to each classroom. The teachers often forgot to send a student on time so ALT was late to class. The schools complained about the bother etc.

   Still, they lived here I want to say a decade or so. Seemed to enjoy life.

6. You could ask in r/movingtojapan and r/jetprogramme besides here. Discussions come up a lot about accessibility issues.

   Are you talking low visual acuity or do you mean legally blind? I know a few JET Program alumni who are either.

7. Not sure if it applies to ALT companies or not, but companies in general do get credit of some kind for employing people with disabilities (taxes?). Such that those companies like to know if you are disabled so that they can report than onwards.

   Disability is 障害者 (shougaisha), and it comes in levels–1級, 2球, and so on (with 1 being the highest/most disability). I’m level 1, due to a heart valve replacement a few years ago (outwardly invisible).

   There are some benefits to being formally classified this way. You get a larger basic deduction on your taxes, buses where I am are half fare, many museums and places that charge an entrance fee either reduce (sometimes waive) that fee (also for someone with you). There’s a discount on transportation like long distance buses and shinkansen (also for one person accompanying you in the shink). One that I like is that my city waives the yearly car tax (saves me ~¥35,000/yr). Some of these things differ depending on locality.

   In general, I’d say to go for it.

8. Thanks for all the responses so far. To clarify I’m just blind in one eye and have poor vision in the other not good enough to drive but still somewhat functional.

9. Days late to the conversation, but for anyone else who might come across this thread, I just wanted to mention that I only learned a couple months ago that Japan has different definitions for blindness than what we may be used to.

   [Per the Ministry of Health ’04](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/new-info/kobetu/roudou/gyousei/rousai/dl/040324-2b.pdf)

   (At the same time, I learned that in the U.S. the visual standard required to drive also varies by state – which wasn’t something I had ever considered before).

10. I am legally blind, and only have one functioning eye. I can tell you that most places are quite understanding. I also find living in Japan far easier than my home country.

    That said, it really will depend on your company. I’ve worked for some who were very understanding, and others who made me feel less than human. Some schools thought it was great, and had me participate in special classes where I could share my experiences of living with a disability. I even had a class where I taught brail to the kids, and showed them how to write their names in it.

    I will say that if you do register in Japan that there are benefits. For one, you actually get money for your company who hire you, and you get some additional pension contributions. The money the government pays the company to keep you on makes it very hard (but not impossible) to be laid off.