Aiming for Minato City to be a comfortable city for everyone to live with love and pride in the community

Minato City is a city where people of various ages live, from children to senior citizens. Among them, there are people who need support.
There are people with illnesses and injuries, senior citizens, pregnant women, single parents, people with disabilities, and people that you might not immediately realize need support based on their appearance.
Please think, “Is there anything I could do?” It might enable the person to live more comfortably. It will surely help each person be more valued, and be able to live safely with peace of mind.

Points about consideration and conversation

There are people with disabilities who do not receive consideration and help from others and people who experience difficulties in daily life due to the characteristics of their disabilities. Have you ever felt unsure about how to communicate and offer help to someone experiencing difficulties? This article introduces methods about consideration and communication.
For more details, please see the “Minato City Communication Handbook for People with Disabilities” that is scheduled to be distributed free of charge at the munical facilities in Minato City in the end of February.

Basic points of consideration

The word “disability” includes wide range of condition and reaction. Speak slow, polite, and repetitive. These are same when communicating with children, senior citizens, foreign people, etc.

When initiating conversation

• With a smile, say, “Is there anything I can help you with” in a slow, gentle tone.
• When you speak, look at the person you speak.

When listening

• Create an atmosphere where the person you speak can speak with peace of mind and listen until the end of what he or she is saying.
• If you have trouble replying, try using a communication board.

When speaking and explaining

• Speak slowly and use words that are easy to understand, and keep each sentence as short as possible.
• In addition to your words, use pictures and diagrams.
• Write down important information and give it to the person you speak.

Person with visual impairment

Point 1
Depending on the degree of disability, a person with disability receives information through hearing and touch, such as voice and braille. Others receive information from vision, such as magnified letters and special devices.

Point 2
If you’re unsure how to initiate conversation, try saying the following.
Stand in front of the person and say, “Would you like me to help you? My name is _.

Point 3
Use specific phrases such as, “There is a difference in elevation three steps ahead of you.” You can also use clock positions by telling the person where something is by comparing to the hour on a clock, such as saying, “The tea is at 4 o’clock.”

Person with hearing disability

Point 1
Each person is different, including person who cannot hear at all and who has little difficulty. Because it is difficult to know if someone has a hearing disability based on their appearance, some people misunderstand and think they are ignoring them when they do not respond.

Point 2
When you are unsure of how to communicate, try saying the following.
Make eye contact with the person and greet him or her by saying something like “Hello.” After, confirm which communication method to use.

Point 3
Speak slowly in a way showing your face and mouth.

Person with physical disability

Point 1
For wheelchair users, lean forward a little and speak to them at the same eye level.

Point 2
If there is a person experiencing difficulties in the following setting, help and initiate conversation.

• Ticket counter: “May I buy a ticket?”
• When the person is trying to pick up something above or below them: “May I pick up something above or below you?”
• Crosswalks and places with elevation differences: “May I push your wheelchair?”

Point 3
Some people have difficulty communicating due to aphasia, etc. There are also people who have disabilities inside the body.

Do you know the Help Card or the Help Mark?

Size
5.5 cm × 8.5 cm

“Help Card” is intended to make it easier for person with disability to receive consideration and help during disaster and when experiencing difficulty in daily life. The card is printed with detail about the support the person needs, emergency contact information, etc.
“Help Mark” is worn by people who need support and consideration. Please be kind to someone experiencing difficulty.

I am wearing a Help Mark

Person with developmental disability

Point 1
Smile and care about person with strong anxiety or sensitive to surrounding his/her environment, such as guiding the person to a private room.

Point 2
It is difficult to see if the person has a disability based on his/her appearance. Because he/she cannot follow instructions, other people might misunderstand and think he/she are selfish.

Point 3
If the person panics and starts speaking in a loud voice, tell the person in a gentle voice, “It’s OK” to calm him or her.
If the person panics in a dangerous place such as road or train platform, explain the reason why it is dangerous and guide the person to a safe place.

Person with intellectual disability

Point 1
Some people cannot communicate well by being unable understanding conversation or expressing thoughts and feelings.
There are also people who have trouble adapting to situations, panic, and raise their voices.

Point 2
Rather than asking “What’s wrong?”, ask specific questions about what they want such as, “Do you want to go to Tokyo Tower?”

Point 3
If the person asks the same question many times, answer politely and repetitively. Also, speak slowly and gently while using actual items, pictures, diagrams.

There are people who cannot wear masks

There are people who cannot wear masks because of disabilities, skin diseases, etc.
If you see someone who is not wearing a mask, consider that there may be a reason. Understand the conditions of people with disabilities , and feel compassion toward one another.

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