TOKYO, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese government report said on Tuesday that 93.9 percent of respondents surveyed in Japan think it is normal for people with disabilities to live close to them.
The survey is included in the 2023 white paper on government measures for persons with disabilities, which was approved at the day's cabinet meeting.
"It shows that people are interested in the elimination of disability-based discrimination," said a Cabinet Office official.
Japan will legally oblige companies to provide necessary services and infrastructure to assist people with disabilities from April 2024 by ensuring they set up measures such as sloped access points for wheelchairs. Prior to the revision to the law, only government institutions were required to do so, while businesses were merely obliged to make efforts.
The survey was conducted by mail by the Cabinet Office from November to December 2022, with questionnaires being sent to 3,000 people aged 18 and older, resulting in 1,765 providing valid responses. ■