According to the Public Opinion Poll on Human Rights Promotion and Protection released by the Cabinet Office on Dec. 2, some 51.1% of pollees said they are interested in human rights issues related to persons with disabilities. This is a historic high and an increase of 11.7 percentage points from the previous survey conducted in 2012. It is thought that interest is up because the Olympics and Paralympic Games will be held in Tokyo in 2020 and because an incident occurred in July last year in which 19 persons with disabilities were killed at Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, a residential care facility for those with mental disabilities in Sagamihara City.

When asked what kinds of human rights issues arise for persons with disabilities (multiple responses permitted), some 49.9% said “those with disabilities are given disadvantageous treatment during job searches and at the workplace,” making it the most frequent response. Some 48.7% said “those with disabilities are subjected to discriminatory language and actions,” up 8.9 points from the previous poll.

The poll has been conducted every few years since 1958, making this the 12th such poll. The poll was taken in October targeting 3,000 men and women nationwide age 18 or over. The valid response rate was 58.6%.