2008 Conference in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Developing the Future Workability of Six Hundred Million
September 9-11, 2008 Sapporo, Hokkaido, JAPAN                             
Sapporo Prince Hotel                

CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND DOWNLOADABLE PRESENTATIONS

Tuesday, 9 September <Japan Day>
9:30 – 10:00 Opening Ceremony
Opening address: Kosei Saito Chairperson, Workability International Japan : Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

10:00 – 11:30 Outline of Employment of People with Disabilities in Japan
Masaya Aashi, Nobuaki Kurachi, Jun Yaeda, Japan Society of Vocational Rehabilitation

13:00 – 14:30 Current Conditions of Employment of People with Disabilities in Japan
Film: ”The meaning of work - Illness, Honobonoya, and Our Future -” (45 minutes)
Speech from two Japanese workers of member’s organization and interviews with them

14:45 – 17:00 Tables Session
1. Yamato Welfare Foundation
2. Japan Society of Vocational Rehabilitation
3. Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
4. The Nippon Foundation (in Japanese only)
5. JICA ( Japan International Cooperation Agency - in Japanese only)
6. Prefecture of Hokkaido (in Japanese only)
At first, presentation from each and they explain informed about “Activities toward
Employment of People with Disabilities in Japan” at each table.

Wednesday, 10 September <Workability International Seminar>
9:15 – 9:30 Opening Address: Frank Flannery, President, Workability International

9:30 – 10:30 Memorial Lecture
“The meaning of the Work of People with Disabilities”
Mr. Satoshi Fukushima, Associate Professor at Tokyo University, Japan's most prestigious
institute of higher learning

10:35 – 12:40 Seminar on Global standard of employment of People with Disabilities
10:35 – 11:25 “Decent Work and Current of Labour Issues forcused by People with Disabilities”
Ms. Barbara Murray (ILO)
11:30 – 12:40 Panel Discussion “Idea of Decent Work of employment of People with Disabilities”
Chairperson: Katsunori Fujii, Kyosaren, Japan
Speakers:
Tim Pape, Shaw Trust, UK
Robyn Klos, CEO, Gracelands Group of Services, New Zealand
Deborah Wan, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Hong Kong
Advisor: Barbara Murray

14:00 – 17:00 Two parallel seminars: Group meeting on two separate theme based on Cooperation with Industries focused. A: Business Focus, B: People Focus
(presentation of case examples from 6 participants per each seminar)
Group A: Business Focus Group B: People Focus
Coordinator: Taro Nakamura (Japan Sun Industries)
Sub coordinator: Yoshifumi Higashibaba (SELP)
① Hidenobu Eto, OMRON TAIYO Co., Ltd., Japan
② Ian Beker, Southland Enterprises Inc., New Zealand
③ George Marshall, Haywood Vocational Opportunities Inc., USA
④ Ram Prasad Dhungana, National Rehabilitation Centre of the Disabled Nepal
⑤ Jason Chua Sonkat, Persatuan Kristian Shuang Fu, Malaysia
⑥ Johnny Lantion, National Federation of Cooperatives of Persons with Disability,
Philippines
Coordinator: Hiroshi Ayuha ( SELP)
Sub coordinator: Mariko Horigome (Zencolo Association)
① Suporuntum Mongkolsawadi, Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities, Thailand
② Peter Hammerle, Christian Blind Mission, Phillipines
③ Cho-Sung Huang, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, Taiwan
④ Christian Adjei,Ghana
⑤ Premadasa Dissanayake Mudiyanselage, Sri Lanka Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled

Thursday, 11 September <Workability International Seminar>
International Seminar on Support of Employment of People with disabilities
Hosted by The National Horse Racing Welfare Foundation
9:00– 9:15 Address by Organizer,
Kosei Saito, Chairperson, Workability International Japan
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Vice president, Japan National Council of Social Welfare
Atsushi Ogawa, President, The National Horse Racing Welfare Foundation

9:15 – 12:00 “Current Conditions of Employment of People with Disabilities in Various Foreign Countries and Practices in Developing Countries”
Coordinator: Yasuhiro Hoshino, SELP
1: Reports from Developing Countries – Activities of Organizations that Support Employment of People with Disabilities –
Speakers: Ettore Nardy, Instituto Patadigma, Brazil
Bob Ransom, Etiopian Center for Disability and Development
Jocelyn C. Garcia, Tahanang Walang hagdanan, Inc., Phillipines
2: Reports from Advanced Nations - Current Conditions of Support for Employment of
People with Disabilities and Case Examples of Support for Developing Countries
Speakers: Hiroshi Ueno, Kyosaren, Japan
Hans Vrind, Workability Europe, Holland
Stuart Knowles, Shaw Trust, UK
Tony Lund, Disability Services Australia,

13:00 – 14:30 Panel Discussion “Consideration on Support for Developing Countries of Workability
International”
Coordinator: Seikaku Suzuki, SELP
Speakers: Frank Flannery, Workability International, Ireland
Kosei Saito (in Japanese only), Workability International Asia, Japan
Patrick Maher, National Disability Sevices, Ausitralia
James MacClelland, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., USA
14:30 – 15:00 Summary “For Promotion of Employment of People with Disabilities and Support for
Developing Countries”
Mr. Ryosuke Matsui, Professor at Hosei University
15:30 – 17:30 Workability International Annual General Meeting
18:00 – 20:00 Farewell Party
Monday, 8 September
8:30- 10:00 Workability Asia Board meeting
10:00- 12:00 Workability Asia Business meeting *Observers will be allowed.

For questions and inquiries regarding the conference, please contact:
Kaoru Araki (araki@selp.or.jp) or Tsuyumi Nakamura (asia-wi@selp.or.jp) at
Secretariat, 2008 Workability International Conference in Sapporo
c/o NPO JAPAN SELP CENTER, Shinjuku 1-31-1-2F, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, JAPAN
TEL +81 3 3355 8877 FAX +81 3 3355 7666