On December 16, 2022, Waseda University Polaris, Inc., a special subsidiary of Waseda University (see note), invited five of its employees as guests and Associate Professor Hanno Terao of the School of Social Sciences (in charge of “Comparative Modern Social Thought 2”) as facilitator to hold the above open lecture online. A total of 68 students, faculty and staff of Waseda University participated in the lecture.
Public lecture(Top row from left: Associate Professor Terao (Faculty of Social Sciences), Polaris employees, Manager Ban, and Mr. T.U.)
After an overview of the company’s business by Asako Ban, manager of the company, and a video of the company’s work, each of the company’s staff with disabilities talked about their work content and attitude that make the best use of their aptitudes and abilities, the circumstances leading up to their employment, and their daily lives. A lively Q&A session was held, providing an opportunity to think about how people with disabilities can coexist with society and its social significance as something close to everyone.
Participants commented, “I was surprised by the diversity of job descriptions and reflected on the fact that I had been thinking of people with disabilities in a limited way”; “I believe that high performance is achieved through a combination of work adjustments and training tailored to the characteristics of the disability, and the motivation and ambition of each employee”; “I saw a new form of equality and diversity from the way employees are respected as equal workers”; “As a student, I felt proud to be a part of a group that is leading the way to an inclusive society by establishing the university’s first special subsidiary and providing work opportunities for people with disabilities”; and “It is essential to understand how to change the social independence and employment of people with disabilities to the norm, and today’s talk is the first step in removing social barriers, which is a very impressive activity”.
(Note) Subsidiary established by the employer (the university) for the purpose of promoting stable employment of persons with disabilities
Polaris employees at the venue
