Support for Students With Disabilities at Japanese Institutions of Higher Education

Introduction

Currently, students with disabilities are studying in many higher education institutions worldwide. This paper focuses in particular on the current status of students with disabilities in Japanese higher education institutions (HEIs) and introduces the actual situation of such students and the support provided to them. This work also discusses the universal design of learning that is necessary to realize campuses where diverse students, with and without disabilities, can learn together.

In Japan, as part of the development of the domestic legal system in preparation for the conclusion of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities was enacted and has been in effect since 2016. The Act prohibits unfair and discriminatory treatment of persons with disabilities and requires the provision of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. To date, public schools, such as national universities, were obligated to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. This law was revised in 2021, and by 2024, the provision of reasonable accommodation will become mandatory for private companies, including private universities. Although many private universities have already provided support for students with disabilities, all higher education institutions in Japan must now guarantee the right to study for many students, regardless of their disabilities.

The number of students with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) enrolled in higher education institutions is large and their support needs are diverse. The number of students with such disorders is increasing each year and has been a concern for many higher education institutions in Japan over the past several years. How can higher education institutions respond to the needs of diverse students? Support office personnel are not the only people who participate in assisting students. Faculty who directly supervise students in the classroom spend more time with them. Participation in class is one of the most important activities in a student's life. So, how do Japanese universities ensure that students participate in classes, not only by the staff in charge of supporting students with disabilities but also by the faculty members in charge of teaching classes? Or, in what ways are staff and faculty expected to guarantee students' learning opportunities in the future? This paper introduces the support that is commonly provided in Japan for students with neurodevelopmental disorders, who have a variety of support needs.

Students with neurodevelopmental disorders have been identified as having multiple challenges in their career development. In this article, we discuss effective career support for students with neurodevelopmental disorders, based on a case study of a career support program that the authors have conducted.

Throughout this paper, we summarize the current status of support for students with disabilities at Japanese institutions of higher education. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss how to guarantee learning and career support, including universal design for learning (UDL), for students with neurodevelopmental disorders, whose enrollment is increasing year by year, and how to comprehensively empower them in their entire student life.