[CAO] Cabinet Approves the Fifth Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities

On March 14, 2023, the government approved the 5th Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities at a cabinet meeting.

Paragraph 1 of Article 11 of the Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities (Act No. 84 of 1970) stipulates that "in order to promote comprehensive and systematic measures to support the independence and social participation of persons with disabilities, the national government must formulate a Basic Plan relating to measures for persons with disabilities." In addition, paragraph 4 of the same Article stipulates that "the Prime Minister shall consult with the heads of the relevant administrative bodies, listen to the viewpoints of the Commission on Policy for Persons with Disabilities, prepare a draft of the Basic Plan, and seek the approval of the Cabinet." Thus, this cabinet decision is based on this provision.

Given this, the Commission on Policy for Persons with Disabilities thoroughly studied the draft from the 58th meeting of the Commission, held on November 1, 2021, to the 75th meeting held on December 16, 2022, and compiled the Perspectives of the Commission for the Formulation of the 5th Basic Plan.

The draft Basic Plan was submitted for public comment before the decision was reached. The period of the plan is five years from FY2023.

The table of contents of the Basic Plan is as follows:

Introduction
I. The 5th Basic Plan for Persons with Disabilities
 1. How it works in the whole system
 2. Period covered
 3. Composition
 4. Relationship with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ("Convention")
 ・ History of the Convention, main contents, and past related efforts of Japan
II. Basic Approach
 1. Basic philosophy
 2. Basic principles
 3. Changes in the social situation
 ・Legacy of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
 ・COVID-19 pandemic and the response
 ・Realization of a sustainable, diverse, and inclusive society (SDGs perspective)
 4. Cross-cutting perspectives common to each area
 ・Respect and alignment with the philosophy of the Convention
 ・Promotion of initiatives that contribute to the realization of an inclusive society
 ・Adoption of the perspective that improves accessibility in all aspects of society
 ・Promotion of the use of new technologies that contribute to improving accessibility
 ・Comprehensive and cross-sectoral support, with persons with disabilities at the center
 ・Fine-tuned support that takes into account characteristics of impairments
 ・Promotion of measures that take into account women with disabilities, children, and the elderly
 5. Smooth implementation of measures
 ・Promotion of effective measures through the PDCA cycle
III. Basic Measures for Persons with Disabilities in Various Fields
 1. Elimination of discrimination, promotion of the protection of rights, and the prevention of abuse [related to Article 23 of the Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities ("Act"); Articles 10, 12, 14, and 16 of the Convention]
 2. Development of a safe and secure living environment [related to Articles 20 and 21 of the Act; Articles 9, 19, 20, and 28 of the Convention]
 3. Improvement of information accessibility and communication support [related to Article 22 of the Act; Articles 9, 21, and 24 of the Convention]
 4. Promotion of disaster preparedness and crime prevention [related to Articles 22, 26, and 27 of the Act; related to Articles 9, 11 of the Convention]
 5. Enhanced adaptation in administrative agencies [related to Articles 28 and 29 of the Act; Articles 13, 14, and 29 of the Convention]
 6. Promotion of health and medical care [related to Articles 14, 17, 23, and 31 of the Act; Articles 12, 14, 19, 25, and 26 of the Convention]
 7. Promotion of support for independent living and decision-making [related to Articles 14, 17, and 23 of the Act; related to Articles 12, 19, 20, 23, 26, and 28 of the Convention]
 8. Promotion of education [related to Articles 16 and 17 of the Act; Articles 24 and 30 of the Convention]
 9. Support for employment, adjustment at the start of a new job, and economic independence [related to Articles 15, 18, 19, 23, and 24 of the Act; Articles 19, 24, 26, 27, and 28 of the Convention]
 10. Promotion of cultural and artistic activities and sports [related to Article 25 of the Act, related to Article 30 of the Convention]
 11. Promotion of cooperation and partnerships in the international community [related to Article 30 of the Act and Articles 31 and 32 of the Convention] 
 Conclusion

The 5th Plan is characterized by many statements from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, such as information accessibility, reasonable accommodation, as well as perspectives on the SDGs. It also addresses the promotion of effective action through, e.g. the PDCA cycle.

For more information, please visit: https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/kakugikettei/index.html

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