CRPD/ C/JPN/CO/1

Accessibility (art. 9)
21.

The Committee notes with concern the:

(a)
Limited strategies to harmonize accessibility obligations at all levels to embed
universal design standards and to encompass all domains;
(b)
Little progress in ensuring the accessibility to information and the accessibility
of schools, public transportation, apartments, and small-scale shops, in particular, outside
major cities;
(c)
Insufficient awareness-raising and training for architects, designers, and
engineers concerning accessibility standards and the universal design under the Convention.
22.
Recalling its general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility, the Committee
recommends that the State party:
(a)
Implement an action plan and accessibility strategy, in close consultation
with organizations of persons with disabilities, to harmonize accessibility across all
levels of government, to embed universal design standards, and ensure the accessibility
of, inter alia, buildings, transportation, information and communication, and other
facilities and services open or provided to the public, including those outside major
cities;
(b)
Enhance continuous capacity-building programmes on universal design
and accessibility standards for architects, designers, engineers, and programmers.
Right to life (art. 10)
23.
The Committee is concerned about the reports on the cases of deaths of persons with
disabilities resulted from the:
(a)
Lack of safeguards of the right to life of persons with disabilities, including
lack of consideration of their will and preferences as regards the non-start and/or continuation
of their medical treatment, including in palliative care;
(b)
Physical and chemical restrains in the condition of involuntary hospitalisation
on the bases of impairment;
(c)
It is also concerned by the lack of statistics on the causes and circumstances of
and independent investigation on the deaths in psychiatric hospitals.
24.
The Committee recommends that the State party, in consultation with
organisations of persons with disabilities and independent monitoring mechanisms:
(a)
Explicitly recognize the right to life of persons with disabilities and ensure
the respective safeguards, including the expression of their will and preferences and the
required support for it, as regards their treatment, including in palliative care;
(b)
Prevent any form of involuntary hospitalisation and treatment on the
bases of impairment of a person and ensure necessary support to persons with
disabilities in community-based services;
(c)
Conduct thorough and independent investigation on causes and
circumstances of the cases of deaths in psychiatric hospitals.
Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)
25.

The Committee is concerned about:

(a)
Limited protection under the Basic Act on Disaster Management for the rights
of persons with disabilities of privacy and non-discrimination, including the denial of
reasonable accommodation;
(b)
Lack of accessibility of evacuation shelters and temporary housing in
situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies;

6