Even if the door to start is open, the path does not continue

  For people with disabilities, work is not just a means of livelihood but a meaningful activity that builds social relationships and fulfills roles. Initially, there are relatively diverse entry routes. After graduating from special schools, they take their first step into society through vocational rehabilitation facilities or work experience programs, and companies or public institutions of a certain size are opening the door to employment through mandatory hiring of people with disabilities. However, the pathways after employment are still often interrupted. There are not a few cases where the duration of employment is short or does not lead to career progression, leading to dispersal. Jobs may exist, but the flow is cut off, making it difficult to move on to the next stage in reality.

When you want to work for a long time but the conditions do not allow it

  As time passes, the form of employment tends to become more fluid and unstable. This is due to personal factors, such as health conditions or family caregiving, as well as institutional limitations, such as restricted opportunities for job transition or training while employed. It is not easy to maintain and continue job opportunities that fit the changing life conditions. While anyone can experience insecurity in the labor market, people with disabilities encounter this uncertainty earlier and more frequently.

When knocking on the door again at the end of work

  The desire to continue working does not easily fade with age. However, the opportunities to work again after retirement are extremely limited. The options available are often confined to public jobs centered around simple labor, and there are many cases where stable income sources such as national pensions or retirement pensions are lacking. The constraints faced at the last stage of employment make one reconsider the meaning of work. It is a time that requires room for connection rather than disconnection.

Imagining a society where we can grow old with work

  The discussions on the employment of people with disabilities up to now have tended to focus on the ‘beginning’. This is partly because it is difficult to cross the threshold of employment, but there has been relatively less interest in life thereafter. However, employment is not just a momentary event but a journey that runs through the entirety of life. Work can be a way of relating to society as one ages rather than being an end in itself. While work can stop, life continues, and for that life to be respected, the sustainability of employment is necessary. It is time to design an organic connection between employment and welfare so that everyone can grow old with work.