2025 Volume 74 Issue 4 Pages 397-401
The number of persons with disabilities (PWDs) holding a disability certificate in Minamidaito Village is 76, which accounts for 6.3% of the village's total population. There are no employment transitions or continuous employment support services, or daily living equipment subsidies for PWDs on the island, which makes it difficult to secure specialists who are focused on disabilities. On the other hand, the administrative, medical, and caregiving personnel engage in face-to-face communications with the PWDs daily; accordingly, they provided support for PWDs while thoroughly understanding their lives and characteristics. Disaster response involves listing those who need support with the fire brigade and the Minami-Daito Village Social Welfare Council, conducting pre-evacuation guidance, and providing transportation to evacuation centers. An environmental improvement project is being conducted by the “Minami-Daito Village Agricultural Land, Water, and Environmental Conservation Management Committee,” where groups which include PWDs and the elderly work together, which aids in supporting employment for PWDs. PWDs are recognized as members with a certain type of individuality. In various jobs and roles, a method is used where one person's weakness is covered by another with a compensating strength, which allows the work to be carried out. The island's human resources are all equally valuable, and each plays a role in sustaining the island. Minami Daito Village shares commonalities with rural areas in Asia. It is difficult to secure “service organizations specialized in disabilities” and “professionals specialized in disabilities.” However, the government, related organizations, and the community are naturally filling in as substitutes. In addition, people's awareness of normalization is high, and PWDs are naturally accepted as members. When considering support for PWDs, it is highly beneficial to elucidate, identify, and reassess the social and environmental factors and specifics of the power held by small communities that are isolated from urban areas.
