NEWS

On March 17, Professor Takeo Kondo of the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo gave a lecture and workshop entitled "" Educational Support for Children with Disabilities and Students Inclusive Community Development Starting from University"" on the APU campus.
This lectured was hosted by the APU Center for Inclusive Leadership (CIL) and the APU Disability Support Services Committee. It was open to the public for the purpose of promoting the understanding of support for students with disabilities to a wide range of educators, with more than 60 participants from inside and outside the university attending both online and in person.

Kondo explained that the idea that disabilities are not inherent to the individual, but that society’s barriers are what causes disabilities. Though this idea is not yet widespread, the enactment of the Act on Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities in 2016 has contributed to the improvement of educational support. He also introduced the positive impact that COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of ICT-based education and the current situation in which support at elementary schools has improved. Furthermore, he pointed that regional disparities still remain as issues, and that the delay in support for secondary and higher educational institutions compared to primary education leaves a shadow on the achievement of higher education.

As a practical example, the University of Tokyo Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology’s "DO-IT Japan" program, which collaborates with companies, was mentioned. Furthermore, due to the revision of the Act on Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, from April 1, 2024, private schools, which are private businesses, will also be required to provide reasonable accommodation. In the second half of the lecture, active discussion and a question-and-answer session took place with a highly involved audience.

Under the research grant of APUCIL, five faculty members, including coordinator Associate Professor JUNG Jonghee of the Language Education Center, are conducting joint research with Fukuoka University of Education on classroom practices based on Universal Design of Learning (UDL). They aim to improve the quality of learning through educational practices that respond to the diverse characteristics of APU students.

Takeo Kondo (front row left), Professor Keiko Notomi from University of Teacher Education Fukuoka (front right) and APU faculty members, (from left back row) Associate Professor Kumiko Tsutsui and Associate Professor Hirokuni Tateyama from Center for Educational Development and Learning Support, JUNG Jonghee, Associate Professor Maiko Berger, and Associate Professor Tamaki Sumita from Center for Language Education