Ei-iE

Oshima Island, where I work, is a 25-minute ferry ride away from the Fukuoka port, has a circumference of about 15 km, and a population of about 700. Surrounded by the sea on all sides, the island is blessed with abundant marine resources and a thriving fishing industry. The school in Oshima is an integrated elementary and middle school where I teach art. It is a small school with 37 students from grades one through nine. I take the children to the sea to make paintings of boats or to a mountain temple to make paintings of free-range chickens. We also make happi coats – traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coats – for the Yamakasa festival in collaboration with the home economics teacher. In the home economics class, the students create the shapes, while in the art class, they design beautiful patterns to craft a one-of-a-kind happi coat. These and many other art projects allow the children of the island to express and show their love for the island.

When I was 37 years old, I became disabled with left-side paralysis due to the aftereffects of a stroke. When I returned to work, everyone except my family was against it. Nevertheless, as I reflected on whether returning to work would be painful or pleasant, I felt a slight pull toward resuming my beloved profession. I also realized that school leaders who insisted that it would be impossible did not truly understand what was impossible, because even I did not know my limits. I decided that I would return to work for the time being and quit if I could not manage it. I believed that I would regret it if I gave up from the start. I had aphasia at the beginning of my illness, so I went to language classes and did some training. Looking back now, I am glad that I did not quit at that time, and I am grateful that the Japan Teachers’ Union (JTU) has been there to support me in my professional journey as a teacher with a disability.

The JTU established a Network for Educators with Disabilities in 2013 and 13 years have passed since. The network has five Steering Committee members including myself, and four JTU staff in the secretariat who support the work. We gather three times a year to develop plans for the annual National Conference of the Network for Educators with Disabilities held every November.

Our network has three advantages. The first one is that the National Conferences are an important platform for capacity development. In the last meeting, for instance, we heard from a researcher on the challenges facing educators with disabilities, learned about the legally required employment rate of persons with disabilities, and heard inspirational stories from a person with a visual impairment who went on to graduate and do research, as well as others who overcame various challenges related to disabilities. All of these stories have been helpful, informative, and inspirational.

The second advantage is that the network offers a space where educators with disabilities gather all over Japan, exchange regional information, and share challenges, hardship, and even happiness. We can feel that we are not alone, build solidarity, and encourage one another.

The third one is that the network negotiates with the Ministry of Education. It is very meaningful for us to have the opportunity to inform the Ministry about the challenges educators with disabilities face and what equipment needs to improve. In a positive development, the network now also welcomes members with mental disorders, making it more diverse.

It is also encouraging to see international policy developments such as the significant Recommendations put forward by the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession. Recommendation 10 states that ‘governments should develop policies and measures to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the teaching workforce, in particular for vulnerable and marginalized groups, beginning with workforce planning’. This is exactly what we demand from the authorities. Recommendation 16 says that ‘within the transformation of education, the sources of identity, dignity and respect for teachers also must change. Teachers are no longer solely providers of knowledge but now also have the essential role of guiding learners through the process of self-discovery by promoting inclusive, effective and relevant learning’. There are many children with disabilities in our schools. It makes sense for educators with disabilities to be in schools for those children. Given the important work JTU has been doing, I am happy to see that there are also many other relevant Recommendations that articulate the significant role that teachers' unions play in ensuring inclusive quality education.

I hope that many more people will become aware of union networks for teachers with disabilities such as the one at JTU. I will keep working with the JTU secretariat to strengthen this network so that society can become more accessible and inclusive, a place where people with disabilities can work and where children with disabilities can learn and thrive.