Abstract

After ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2014, Japan became the focus of an initial review designed to assess the quality of the newly implemented measures. One of the points that particularly caught the attention of UN Commissioners concerned Article 19 on independent living. This paper examines the opportunities and practicalities of independent living for people with disabilities in Japan, particularly those with intellectual disabilities who are still mostly supported by their families. The notion of “independent living” and associated concepts of support emerged in the 1970s under the impetus of a group of people with multiple disabilities. After tracing this development, an overview of the living conditions of disabled people in Japan is presented, based on available statistical data, along with a brief description of the regulatory provisions and services supporting independent living. Finally, the analysis of a qualitative survey conducted people with mental disabilities experiencing independent living highlights the crucial roles of parents who are still often reluctant to their children living independently, underlining the importance of access to information.