"The Origin of Independent Living Movement for Disabled People in Osaka and Hyogo"
SADATO Kuniko
last update: 20151224
The Origin of Independent Living Movement for Disabled People in Osaka and Hyogo
SADATO Kuniko
Abstract:
In 1970 a mother killed her disabled child in Yokohama city. Her neighbors started a movement for a petition
for mitigating her crime, because she was a victim of poverty of social welfare in Japan. However disabled
people in the Kanagawa Green Grass Association protested against the movement for the petition from
disabled people's point of view. Since then they have struggled with issues such as murder by family members
of children born with disabilities, opposition to isolate disabled people in institutions, and provision of barrier
free transport and living facilities. They tried to change the social values centered on people without
disabilities.
The movement of Green Grass Association spread to the whole country. Why did the movement spread
nationally in 1970's? I tried to show the reason by the case study of Osaka and Hyogo. In Kansai the movement
started from showing film "Good-by CP" in 1972, and especially the idea of the Green Grass Association had a
great impact on young disabled people. In 1973 they established the Osaka Green Grass Association, and then
the Associations were established in Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama. And more the movement developed into
independent living movement for disabled people.
Keywords: The severely disabled, Independent living movement, The Green Grass Association, Film "Goodby CP"
REV: 20151224