Transforming the workforce through technology

How assistive innovations are helping people with disabilities in Japan access more meaningful employment opportunities

By WP BrandStudio

MUTO Masatane was 26 when he started feeling numbness in his dominant hand. Soon, he was having trouble using chopsticks and writing. Following a year of hospital visits and uncertainty, Muto received a worrisome diagnosis: he was in the early stages of ALS.

Short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movements. As it advances, individuals with the ailment gradually lose the ability to speak, eat, move and even breathe on their own. The average life expectancy of someone living with ALS is three to five years after symptoms begin. As of today, there is no cure.

Although he at first was devastated, Muto decided to turn his prognosis into something good. In the span of a year, he had established WITH ALS, an organization whose multi-pronged mission is to raise awareness and research funds, and enhance the quality of life for people living with ALS and other disabilities. For the latter vision, it means developing assistive technology—devices, software and equipment that help people with disabilities live and, crucially, perform job functions more independently.

“We believe that by utilizing optimal technology, we can realize new ways of working even if there are various obstacles. Even now, I lost my voice due to ALS, I am able to continue my work by utilizing technology that supports communication,” Muto explained, offering himself as a case study.

Muto’s efforts are part of a growing movement of Japanese changemakers and advocates who have been leveraging innovation to give people with disabilities access to more meaningful employment opportunities. With advancements such as wearable devices and AI-powered automatic captioning, technology has been a vital component in driving workplace inclusion.

The road to reform

Individuals living with disabilities in Japan have traditionally faced barriers to finding quality jobs. This is a result both of workplace norms and stereotypes that have made firms more reluctant to interview and hire job candidates with disabilities, regardless of their qualifications. In 2011, fewer than one in four people with disabilities under the age of 65 were working, compared with a population-wide working-age employment rate of 70 percent.

“I think in Japan there are ‘conscious barriers’ such as avoiding people with disabilities, discriminating, feeling sorry for them and looking down,” said NAKANO Yasushi, a Keio University professor whose research aims to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. “In addition, some people think that people with disabilities cannot work because they have impairments.”

Things are starting to shift, however, as the Japanese government makes a concerted push to reduce these disparities, including a series of amendments of the law promoting employment of people with disabilities. In 2013, legislators enacted a law aimed at eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities. This was part of a broader government reform effort, which was punctuated by the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2014.

The moves have spurred steady progress on employment inclusion. In June 2019, the number of people with disabilities working in Japan’s private sector exceeded 560,000—a 4.8 percent increase from the previous year—according to the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. It was the sixteenth year in a row that participation increased.

“I think the government’s efforts to hire people with disabilities have achieved some results,” Nakano said.

There’s no question that policy changes in Japan have played an important role in pushing firms to hire more people with disabilities. Yet these changes also have been buoyed by advanced technologies that help employers support and retain workers with disabilities.

Putting innovation to work

Over the last few years, as his motor functions have decreased, Muto has collaborated with innovators to develop assistive products for others with his disability. One such device is tech-enabled glasses. Used in conjunction with an app, the wearable allows users to operate software and electronic equipment solely through eye movements. In practice, users can do anything from taking a photo with a smartphone to controlling IoT-connected lights. Muto has even used it to perform as a video disc jockey at music festivals.

For his part, Nakano helped develop a text browser application to help people with low vision read. It’s since expanded to include functionality for individuals who are blind and also have developmental and physical disabilities. When designing these assistive technologies, Nakano argues that it’s vital to include the intended users in development. “It is critical to have a system that allows third-party evaluation, not just confirmation,” he said.

It’s a philosophy that’s not unique to innovators in Japan. Elise Roy, an inclusive design expert, has championed the very same process at some of the world’s largest international firms. According to Roy, who is deaf, this method of product development looks to “the most excluded individuals in the context at issue, designing around their needs…. The key here is that we are actively involving these individuals in our design processes.”

Roy began losing her hearing at age 10, but like Muto, she chose to view her disability in a positive light. It has made her a better designer, she says, because as someone who is deaf, she can “see opportunities for product improvement that others can’t.”

The unexpected benefits of assistive tech

Tools like Muto’s glasses and Nakano’s browser are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to innovating workplace solutions for people with disabilities. And they’re not the only ones who benefit—companies, institutions and organizations gain just as much in return when they make inclusivity a priority. The value goes beyond adding new skill sets and perspectives. Roy and Nakano both note that innovations designed for people with disabilities can actually create workplace solutions for everyone. Applications like email and text messaging, for instance, were initially designed for people who are deaf.

“Designing for disability helps everyone because our products can accommodate the innate human difference that exists between everyone’s experiences,” Roy said.

Still, despite the strides some advocates have made in championing more accessible workplaces, there’s much catching up to do. Roy notes that changing “the exclusionary mindset” is a challenge for all countries, not just Japan.

Muto is doing his part to advance more inclusive labor practices by continuing to innovate. WITH ALS is currently working with a tech company on the research and development of communication tools that utilize brain waves and hearing. The system aims to assist individuals who are experiencing the most severe symptoms of ALS, when even eye movements have stopped.

Despite the ongoing progression of his disease, Muto’s spirit and mission remain consistent. “Through innovation, we hope to broaden the range of occupations that can be done and realize a future where people can work in ways that match their individuality,” he said. “I want to send a message to people with disabilities that they can do what was previously thought to be impossible by using technology.”

Related content:

– Innovating a more inclusive workforce

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