Over the past several years, we have worked alongside companies and persons with disabilities through inclusive design projects and organisational transformation initiatives. One comment has stayed with us throughout this journey: "I was able to get a job, but I can't see a career beyond that." That single sentence prompted us to ask a broader question.
Disability employment in Japan has entered a new phase. In recent years, Japan has made remarkable progress in disability employment.
Legislative reforms, mandatory reasonable accommodation, and the gradual increase of the statutory employment quota have encouraged more companies to employ persons with disabilities than ever before. The number of employees with disabilities in the private sector continues to reach record highs each year.
This progress reflects years of commitment from government, businesses, persons with disabilities, and many others who have worked to create more inclusive workplaces. It is undoubtedly a positive step forward. Yet as disability employment expands, another question naturally emerges.「What happens after people are hired?」
Is hiring becoming the goal itself?
As organisations work toward meeting employment quotas, new challenges are becoming increasingly visible.
For example:
- Limited opportunities for career development
- Unclear or inconsistent performance evaluation
- Restricted job roles and career pathways
- Reasonable accommodations that focus primarily on reducing workload rather than enabling people to fully contribute
These issues are not isolated cases. In fact, they are challenges increasingly faced by organisations that have already made significant progress in disability employment. We believe Japan is moving beyond an era in which success was measured primarily by the number of people hired, toward one in which the quality of inclusion must become the central question.
From disability employment to disability inclusion
At SOLIT, we embrace the social model of disability. Rather than viewing disability as an individual's impairment, we understand disability as barriers created by society—through environments, systems, and organisational practices. From this perspective, disability employment should not simply be regarded as legal compliance or a welfare initiative. Instead, it should become a question of organisational design:「How can we build workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to contribute, develop their abilities, and be fairly recognised?」
Likewise, we believe society must move beyond viewing persons with disabilities either as people who deserve sympathy or as exceptional individuals with extraordinary talents. They are simply colleagues, neighbours, and fellow members of society. Cultivating this more natural and equal understanding of coexistence is one of the core aspirations of this project.
Launching the Social Issue Lab × SOLIT Research Project
With these questions in mind, SOLIT has partnered with Social Issue Lab (SIL), a social research institute operated by QO, Inc., to launch a new research project exploring disability inclusion in Japanese workplaces. The project will combine quantitative and qualitative research to better understand topics including:
- Career development
- Performance evaluation
- Reasonable accommodation
- Job design and career opportunities
- The lived experiences of persons with disabilities at work
Alongside domestic research, we will also examine leading disability inclusion practices from Japan and abroad to explore what the next stage of disability inclusion could look like for Japanese organisations.
Beyond publishing another report
Our goal is not simply to publish research findings. We hope this project becomes the starting point for:
- Dialogue with the media
- Learning opportunities for business leaders and HR professionals
- Practical education through DEI Studio
- Future policy recommendations
Ultimately, we want this research to contribute not only to better understanding, but also to meaningful action.
Learn more about the project
For more information about the project, please visit:
QO, Inc. Press Release – Launch of the Joint Research Project
**Please note that the press release is currently available in Japanese only.
Finally
Japan's disability employment system has played a vital role in expanding employment opportunities. However, employment itself is not the destination. Our aspiration is a society where every individual—regardless of disability—has the opportunity to use their strengths, grow professionally, be evaluated fairly, and participate fully in working life. We hope this research will become one small step toward that future.
While this research focuses on Japan, we hope it also contributes to the global conversation on disability inclusion. We welcome dialogue with organisations and practitioners working on similar challenges around the world.