Saki Hashimoto

A special needs schoolteacher in Kumamoto Prefecture. She was born in Oita and raised in Kumamoto. She developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome when she was in her second year of junior high school, which was complicated by polyneuritis. Paralysis of both lower limbs, paralysis of the right upper limb, impairment of the left upper limb, hearing impairment (severe hearing loss), visual impairment (sight impairment/visual field impairment, blindness in the right eye, visual acuity less than 0.01 in the left eye, visual field as large as a one-yen coin, colors vague), thermoregulatory dysfunction, sensory deficits (no sensation in the skin and oral cavity), overlapping of various other deficits.  In daily life, she selects and utilizes equipment such as Comuoone*1, Yubidenwa*2, sight input, switch input, arm support, etc. according to the physical condition of the day. Communication is done by voice, sign language, and ICT equipment, etc.

         *1   a device used by individuals who have various hearing impairments
         *2   a communication device used by individuals with severe disabilities

I am a teacher at a special needs school in Kumamoto prefecture. The reason I decided to become a teacher was largely related to what happened when I was in high school. I aspired to be a teacher when I was in my first year of high school because I had a tough time in high school, and I didn’t want future children to have the same kind of experiences as I did. When I took the exam to become a teacher for the first time for high school politics and economics (civics), I couldn’t see the exam questions because I didn’t have any reasonable accommodations, etc. As a result, I couldn't take the exam satisfactorily and failed. Afterward, I learned about the realities of education at special needs schools from individuals with disabilities and their families. In response to the voices of these people who said, “I want you to be a teacher at a special needs school who can relate to the student’s feelings and help them develop their potential, “So I changed the type of exam to that of a special needs school and took another crack at it. I was able to take the second exam in an environment that was easier for me, and I passed without incident. Even when I took the teacher employment exam, it was not a smooth process. I was able to take the exam with the help of many people. I really appreciated their help.

Thus, I have been teaching at a special needs school since April 2020. I teach 3 classes a week as the main teacher and 12 classes a week with some other teachers.

There are two things that are important to me when I teach my classes. The first is to set up a place for self-determination. This is because I believe that students will acquire the habit of thinking for themselves and will be able to think independently about things. I also believe that it may be easier to live in society by acquiring the ability to consult with people around you according to the situation and make a final decision by oneself, instead of being forced to do it by someone. The second is to proceed in small steps. The reason is that I want them to work on things with confidence. We gradually set goals according to the actual situation of the students and proceed slowly without rushing.

The hardest parts of my job are communication and class development. I have difficulty hearing small or distant voices, and sometimes even when someone speaks close to me, I cannot hear it if there is too much background noise or if I am concentrating on something else.  I ask people to pat me on the shoulder when they want to talk to me, but some people hesitate to do that so I'm always nervous, not knowing when I will be called upon. It’s hard work but it’s also rewarding. It makes me very happy when I think about and implement ways to make my students feel at ease in class and when what I try is successful.

Currently, in class, we use a camera instead of just our eyes, with PowerPoint on an electronic blackboard, and use Google Classroom to hand in assignments.

The second most important thing in my life is to keep challenging myself and never forget to be grateful.  If I don’t try, I don’t know if I can do it, so I just try and when I can’t do it, I figure out how I can do it.

I can do this work thanks to the support, encouragement, and advice of many people. I’ve met so many people since my illness that have changed my life. I am enjoying using the ICT equipment and increasing the things I can do on my own. It has really brought joy to my life. April 2022 will be my third year as a teacher. There are still many things I am lacking, and I still have a lot to learn, so I will continue to do the best I can without forgetting my sense of gratitude.

Also, there may be more things that I will not be able to do in the future due to the progression of my disease or other reasons. I will continue to move forward with the goal of “doing today what I can do today!”