Utilize Abilities of People with Disabilities, Instead of Putting Them in A Safe Zone ~EEOC~

Utilize Abilities of People with Disabilities, Instead of Putting Them in A Safe Zone ~EEOC~

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has 53 offices across the country, and is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. When you experience discrimination by an employer, you can contact the nearest EEOC office and file a charge (complaint) so that EEOC can investigate the discrimination and, in some cases, sue the employer if the issue cannot be resolved. EEOC Headquarters is located in Washington DC, and it was an honor to meet Peggy Mastroianni, Legal Counsel.

Interview at the U.S. Department of Labor: Keys to Promote Employment of People with Disabilities

Interview at the U.S. Department of Labor: Keys to Promote Employment of People with Disabilities

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) in the U.S. Department of Labor is working to develop and influence policies and practices that increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. I had the opportunity to interview three people at ODEP. The first person I would like to write about is Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary.

The American Association of People with Disabilities in Washington DC!

The American Association of People with Disabilities in Washington DC!

In Washington DC, I visited The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and interviewed Zach Baldwin, Director of Outreach. AAPD has implemented various projects to promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. This time I mainly asked about employment-related projects, which is my research focus.

9th Session of Conference of State Parties to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations in New York!

9th Session of Conference of State Parties to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations in New York!

I have been in New York City (NYC) since last week. The main purpose of visiting NYC is to attend the 9th session of the Conference of State Parties to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The convention is international level rules that protect rights of people with disabilities. The text was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006, and Japan signed in 2007 to agree with the convention and confirmed officially in 2014 after improved domestic policies for people with disabilities. This year in April, the Act for Eliminate Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities came into force in Japan. This is one of the improvements that Japanese government has implemented to comply with CRPD. Through 3 days conference, I have gained lots of information and things to think…and new networks!

Talks about Employment for People with Disability in Japan with Rooted in Rights

Talks about Employment for People with Disability in Japan with Rooted in Rights

Rooted in Rights, an advocate group of human right for people with disability, invited me to feature in their filming projects in February when I was in Washington interviewing Disability Rights Washington. I grabbed the chance and said yes right away! I am very lucky to have this opportunity to talk about the employment-related challenges people with disabilities faced in Japan. Through working with Rooted in Rights, I shared the issues in Japan that I have noticed and my vision to change that.

The film was just released yesterday. You can watch it here!

Employees with Disabilities Working Professionally at Store ~Costco Part 1~

Employees with Disabilities Working Professionally at Store ~Costco Part 1~

The last company I visited in Seattle is Costco. The headquarters is located in Issaquah, which is 30-minute drive east from Seattle. I interviewed Brenda Weber, Assistant Vice President of Human Resource. At Costco, the vast majority of employees work at warehouses, which requires more physical movements as an essential function of the job. Those jobs might not link with employment for people with disabilities in Japan. However, Brenda estimates that there would be at least one employee with disabilities at each warehouse of Costco. Unlike Japan, US does not have a quota system for hiring people with disabilities. Then what kind of hiring process does Costco have to hire talented applicants including ones with disabilities?

Differences of Consciousness between People with Disabilities and without Disabilities

Differences of Consciousness between People with Disabilities and without Disabilities

The last person I visited was John Kelly who is a well known disability advocate in Boston. 32 years ago, he had an accident and became a quadriplegic. He was 25 years old at that time. It was a huge adjustment for him since he lived as an bodied person for a long time.

After I heard his very active history, I asked a question which I have been wondering for a long time. ” Why does US have so many disability advocates?” John shared his theory with me and explained the history and culture that have affected to the US today.

All Employees Can Take and Expand Their Possibilities ~Amazon~

All Employees Can Take and Expand Their Possibilities ~Amazon~

In Seattle, I visited a company which I cannot live without. It is Amazon. There are two big interesting findings at Amazon. First, is the procedure of providing reasonable accommodation, and the second is rich accessibility in internal training programs. At Amazon, I have found that there are various choices and opportunities that all employees can take and expand their possibilities. And of course, employees with disabilities are included.

Women and People with Disabilities Are Key Persons to Change A Working Environment

Women and People with Disabilities Are Key Persons to Change A Working Environment

Being a person with disabilities may be a disadvantage in workplace. Being a women also may be too. Professor Lisa Iezzoni, whom I visited in Boston, works for the Massachusetts General Hospital, a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. She has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair for all mobility needs. She shared her experiences of difficulties to build her career because of her gender and disability, and explained how change of law and education gave an impact to workplace in US.