An Interdisciplinary View of Japan and Disability

Dorian Valentine

I’m Dorian Valentine (they/them), a disabled Liberal Arts student and researcher exploring an interdisciplinary view of queer and disabled narratives, and the ways in which marginalisation and intended support (effective or otherwise) affect one’s cultural context and lived experience, with Japan as a case study of interest.

About the Project

I will examine the political and legal circumstances for disabled people, focusing on specific policies as well as resultant architectural developments, planning requirements and existing Japanese disability studies literature. I will then move onto an analysis of the sociocultural and media environment in Japan, particularly regarding neurodiversity, intellectual disability and public opinion, areas where Japan could be deficient if its accessibility primarily arises from the aging population. I will then conclude with an evaluation of the existing provision, and how any potential amendments could be made to improve it.

- Dorian Valentine