““Aoi Shiba” and denial of love and Aoi Shiba” and denial of love and justicejustice

-a starting point of a disability -a starting point of a disability movement and disability studies-movement and disability studies-

NAGASE Osamu Nagase@bfs.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp

University of Tokyo

UK Disability Studies Association 6 September 2003

Congratulations!

• On the birth of UK Disability Studies Association in 2003

Japan Society for Disability Studies October 2003

• Inaugural Meeting of JSDS Inaugural Meeting on October 11, 2003 at the University of Tokyo

• Publication of Disability Studies Journal in 2004

“Invitation to Disability Studies” in March 1999

Developments since 1999 (a)

• Disability Studies Mailing List in Japanese with more than 350 members

• A number of symposiums and lecture series in Tokyo and Osaka

• 19 disability studies seminars in Osaka (Kansai )area

• 35 disability studies seminars in Tokyo area (Kanto) area

Recent topics of disability studies seminars in 2003

• Disability and development• Rethinking rehabilitation• Disability-phobia• Reality of Personal Attendants• Revision of Fundamental Law on Disabled

Persons and Disability Discrimination Law• Ability and harm• Sexuality of Disabled Men

Developments since 1999 (b)

• Publications of a few books on disability studies

• Introduction of disability studies as subjects at some universities and colleges, including the University of Tottori and University of Tokyo

• Limited recognition of disability studies as an emerging discipline

• Establishment of JSDS for the further promotion of disability studies

“Aoi Shiba” in 1970beginning of disability movement and

disability studies

A group of people with cerebral palsy, formed in 1957

Unsuccessful attempt to form their own, small and separate community

Gradual politicization, based on the real fear to be killed by their family members

Another murder in 1970 in Yokohama

• A mother killed her two-year old daughter with cerebral palsy.

• The neighbors and local organization of parents petitioned the court to give her a lenient sentence, citing lack of institutions and services as the cause of the murder, which was a typical response.

Objections from Aoi Shiba

• Public objections and protest from disabled people for the first time

• “in today’s production-oriented society, people with cerebral palsy tend to be marginalized and our rights are denied. Even our life is not taken seriously” (Yamakita. A, 1970)

• Shocking to the public (comformist)

Action Platform of Aoi Shiba in 1970: We Act Like This

• * We identify ourselves as people with Cerebral Palsy (CP).

We recognize our position as "an existence which should not exist" in modern society. We believe that this recognition should be the starting point of our whole movement, and we act on this belief.

Action Platform of Aoi Shiba in 1970: We Act Like This

• * We assert ourselves aggressively.

When we identify ourselves as people with CP, we have a will to protect ourselves. We believe that a strong self-assertion is the only way to achieve self-protection, and we act on this belief.

Action Platform of Aoi Shiba in 1970: We Act Like This

• We deny love and justice.

We condemn the egoism of love and justice. We believe that mutual understanding, accompanying the human observation that arises from the denial of love and justice, means true well-being, and we act on this belief.

Action Platform of Aoi Shiba in 1970: We Act Like This

• * We do not choose the way of problem solving.

We have learnt from our personal experiences that easy solutions to problems lead to dangerous compromises. We believe that an endless confrontation is the only course of action possible for us, and we act on this belief. (Kanagawa Aoi Shiba, 1970)

Action Platform of Aoi Shiba

• We deny able-bodied civilization.

We recognize that modern civilization has managed to sustain itself only by excluding us, people with CP. We believe that creation of our own culture through our movement and daily life leads to the condemnation of modern civilization, and we act on this belief. (Yokotsuka, 1975)

Activities of Aoi Shiba in 1970’s (a)

• Campaigns against the proposed revision of Eugenics Protection Law in 1972, to include a fetal impairment as a justifiable reason for an abortion. “People with CP are not happy because our children are not born with CP”.

• Protest against amniocentesis in 1977• Over selective abortion, there was a conflict with

feminist movements, which claimed women’s self-determination.

Activities of Aoi Shiba in 1970’S (b)

• Campaigns against segregated education in 1975

• Street demonstrations against inaccessible public buses in 1977

• Peer support to young disabled people

• Encouragement to future disability leaders

The founding of Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI) in 1981

• UK Disability Movement, based on UPIAS and BCODP, represented by Vic Finkelsten

• US Independent Living Movement, represented by Ed Roberts

• Japanese Movement, including Aoi Shiba

(Hosting the Second World Council of DPI in Tokyo and Hiroshima, Peace Statement 1982)

DPI World Assembly October 2002Sapporo Platform

• BioethicsWe must become part of the discussion on genetics and bioethics.  We must assert our right to be different.  We must repudiate any    discussion that links the concept of "person" to a set of abilities. We must promote disability studies to change the image of disability in a positive way among academics.

Aoi Shiba ‘s Legacy

• Objections to the ablist culture and production-oriented civilization

• Disability culture• Right to be born • Resistance to prenatal screening (DPI Japan’s position paper on the

Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons in 2003)

• Right to be different

Milestone in the development of disability studies in Japan: 1990

• Tateiwa S., et al, “Sei no giho”, analyzing Aoi Shiba and independent living movements in Japan

• Tateiwa, S. ,1997 “On Private Property”

(partial English translation http://www.arsvi.com/index.htm)

Declaration of the Deaf Culture in 1995

• deaf culture and disability culture

• deaf studies and disability studies

Challenges facing JSDSChallenges facing JSDS

Establishment as a disciplineDominance of medical and individual

modelCollaboration with the disability

movementEstablishment of a focal point on

disability studiesInternational collaboration (future

agenda)