Abstract:

The development of children with severe physical and mental disabilities who attend special-needs schools is gradual, but they continue to grow steadily after graduation. They need time for learning after school to acquire “independence and initiative” in terms of “what they can do” and “what they are interested in. In particular, ICT-based learning can enhance learning while complementing their functions, and there are high expectations for self-expression, broadening the range of interests, and increasing what they can do on their own.

However, welfare facilities in Japan are not educational institutions, and therefore do not have staff with high expertise in each area of study or a supportive environment. In addition, it is difficult for staff to provide individualized support and time.Therefore, the purpose of this study is to report on a practical study of the changes in the environment surrounding people with disabilities and future issues through learning by dispatching ICT specialists to welfare facilities as an advanced case of lifelong education for people with severe mental and physical disabilities in Japan.

As a result of dispatching ICT specialists to six welfare facilities in Japan and practicing ICT-based learning for people with severe physical and mental disabilities, both the people with disabilities and the staff showed positive reactions. As for the effects on the handicapped, the use of ICT enabled the handicapped who could not speak to expand their means of communication and communicate their needs through an application on their iPads, the use of ICT expanded the interests and concerns of the physically and mentally handicapped, and learning social networking provided them with opportunities to interact with others. The use of ICT has expanded the interests and concerns of people with physical and mental disabilities, and learning social networking has increased their opportunities to interact with others. As for the staff members, they were also pleased to see the increase in the number of things that people with disabilities could do as a result of their learning. In addition, the project has been recognized as a positive effect in that the range of interests of people with disabilities has expanded and they have more choices for support, whereas it tended to be a centralized service.

As for future issues, the government does not provide financial support for lifelong education for persons with disabilities, so in addition to securing sustainable financial support, the training of support staff to be dispatched to welfare facilities will be an issue. In order to solve these issues and improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, it is necessary to create an environment where they can continue to learn throughout their lives.

Keywords:

Technology, education, development, people with disability.