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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies
Part2:Country studies
Japan
Definitions and their effects
According to the Law for the Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons in Japan, visual impairment is defined clinically:
- Visual acuity (as measured in accordance with the International Vision Chart and measured degree of correctness; hereafter the same) of both eyes being 0.1 or less.
- Visual acuity of one eye at 0.02 or less and the other at 0.6 or less.
- Visual field diameter 10 degree or less of both eyes.
- Visual field defect more than 50% of both eyes.
Print impairment is considered to be included in learning disabilities. However, there are no clear definitions of “print impairment” in Japan and such a concept is unfamiliar to the public.
The definitions are restrictive and it is impossible to count the actual number of people with visual impairment by using the present definitions. The reported number is much smaller than the actual one. (However, at present, there is no other way to get the actual number). In Japan, most of public libraries adopt the Government narrow definition to decide their service recipient. Consequently, it is often the case that people with slight visual impairment and people who are temporarily impaired cannot use the services. Further, many people with visual impairment themselves do not know that they can use the services. There are also cases where people with visual impairment who do not have an identification card cannot use the services.
The preferred definition from the viewpoint of the Japan Library Association is “persons who have visual impairment (including temporary impairment), which causes some inconvenience.”