Only 10% of Train Commuters with ‘Mental Disabilities’ in Japan Request ‘Reasonable Accommodation’

Half of people with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities in Japan have experienced problems using trains, but only 10% have requested reasonable accommodation from train staff, according to a survey conducted by the mental disability group Polke on May 2nd. The revised Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in April 2024, requires private businesses, including trains, to provide reasonable accommodation, but the survey report points out that only 10% of people have requested reasonable accommodation, which is a "very serious problem." It recommended that training for disabled people's organizations and train staff to learn together needs to be improved. Episode notes: ‘Despite Half of Commuters with Disabilities Experiencing Problems Using Trains in Japan, Only 10% of People with Mental Disabilities Request Reasonable Accommodation’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/05/24/despite-half-of-commuters-with-disabilities-experiencing-problems-using-trains-in-japan-only-10-of-people-with-mental-disabilities-request-reasonable-accommodation/