学生生活
Nihon University’s Basic Policy on Support for Students with Disabilities
Revised on April 30, 2025
Enacted on July 1, 2025
In recognition of its public mission, Nihon University sets forth this Basic Policy on Support for Students with Disabilities to ensure that there is no discrimination based on disability toward the University’s students or prospective students. The Basic Policy also contributes to the realization of an inclusive society where people live together regardless of ability or disability, and with mutual respect for personalities and individualities.
1. Purpose
In line with the Response Guidelines Concerning the Promotion of Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities in Program Areas under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the purpose of the Basic Policy is to state the basic matters regarding study support for students with disabilities at the University, and the matters needed for the University’s faculty and staff members to respond appropriately.
2. Definitions of terms
The definitions of the terms used in these Basic Policy are as follows.
- 1Persons with disabilities
Anyone with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities (including developmental disorders and higher brain dysfunctions) or other physical or mental impairments (including disabilities due to intractable diseases, etc.; collectively described as “disabilities”), who are continuously face major restrictions in their daily and social life due to disability or social barriers, and who participate in the education, research and any other activities of the University. The University will decide whether or not a person has a disability on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances of the individual, and it will not be limited to those who hold a disability certificate. - 2Social barriers
All things, systems, customs, concepts, etc., in society that could be barriers from the perspective of people with disabilities in their daily and social life. - 3 Students
Students, pupils, children and preschool toddlers at, and prospective students for Nihon University, Nihon University Junior Colleges, its attached special training schools, senior high schools, junior high schools, elementary school, kindergarten and certified children’s center. Prospective students for the University include those who participate in open campuses and university information sessions, etc. Students also include undergraduate students, graduate students, commissioned students and international students, credited auditors, auditing students, special auditing students accepted from universities in Japan and overseas, and research students.
3. The University’s basic philosophy concerning unfair discriminatory treatment based on disability and reasonable accommodation
- 1Unfair discriminatory treatment
“Unfair discriminatory treatment” means refusing to provide students with disabilities opportunities in education, research and any other activities of the University due to disability and without a justifiable reason. It also means violating the rights and interests of students with disabilities by placing restrictions on them about time and place, or conditions not placed upon students without disabilities.
Whether or not a reason is justifiable will be judged on a case-by-case basis, following comprehensive and objective consideration of actual situations. These considerations will be based on the perspective of maintaining the rights and interests of students with disabilities and third parties, and maintaining the objectives, content and functions of the education, research and other activities of the University. If faculty and staff members think there is a justifiable reason, they must explain the reason(s) to students with disabilities and try to obtain their understanding. - 2Reasonable accommodation
“Reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments to ensure that students with disabilities enjoy and exercise all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Such accommodation is provided on a case-by-case basis, based on the principle of equality with others, and must not impose an excessive or undue burden on the faculty and staff members. With regard to excessive burdens, the extent of the following factors (i) to (v) will be taken into consideration in an individual case, and judgments made following comprehensive and objective consideration of actual situations. If they think that an excessive burden is being imposed, faculty and staff members must explain in detail the reason(s) for this to students with disabilities, discuss the matters constructively with students with disabilities while respecting each other's situations to obtain mutual understanding, and flexibly consider appropriate responses, including alternative measures.
(i) Influence on education, research and other activities of the University (whether or not their objectives, content or functions will be impaired)
(ii) How feasible responsible accommodation is (physical and technical restrictions, human and systematic restrictions)
(iii) Financial and other burdens
(iv) Work and business scale
(v) Fiscal and financial scale
4. Promotion system to eliminate discrimination based on disability
The University’s system to promote the elimination of discrimination based on disability is as follows.
- 1The director of the system will be the President, who will lead efforts to promote the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities.
- 2The leading manager of the system will be the Vice-President (Student Affairs), who will assist the director in their duties, try to find out the situation throughout the entire University, and ensure that support is smoothly implemented at each faculty, department and school.
- 3The persons in charge of the support system for students with disabilities in each faculty, department and school will be the respective Dean (or Principal in the case of High Schools, etc.). They will make decisions necessary for the elimination of discrimination against students with disabilities at their faculty, department or school, and develop an environment to help achieve this aim.
5. Prohibition of unfair discriminatory treatment
Faculty and staff members of the University must not, in work or business, violate the rights and interests of students with disabilities by treating them unfairly or discriminating against them in comparison with the treatment of those without disabilities. Attention must also be paid to the Appendix titled “Notes on Nihon University’s Basic Policy on Support for Students with Disabilities.”
6. Provision of reasonable accommodation
If students with disabilities express their wishes about removing social barriers, faculty and staff members of the University must provide reasonable accommodation to remove such barriers, unless that would impose an excessive burden. In doing so, they must take into consideration the gender, age, and disabilities of those students so as not to infringe upon their rights and interests. Attention must also be paid to the notes in the separate document. The expression of wishes for accommodation about removing social barriers in specific situations can be made verbally or any other way necessary for students with disabilities to communicate with others. It should be noted their wishes may also be expressed with the support of family members or caregivers. In addition, even when no wishes are expressed, if it is clear that a student with disabilities requires the removal of barriers, faculty and staff members must try to take their own initiatives such as attempts to initiate constructive dialog with the student in question to suggest the reasonable accommodation that is thought to be appropriate for the student. Furthermore, information accessibility and consideration in communication will be provided as educational method, and consideration will also be given to the implementation of examinations and achievement evaluations. However, in order to ensure that educational targets and fairness are not compromised, no alterations must be made to evaluation criteria and passing criteria.
7. Development of a support system
Support contact points that provide consultation for students with disabilities and their family members or other interested parties will be established as follows. In addition, collaboration within and outside of the University will be conducted where necessary.
- 1Nihon University Student Support Center
- 2Student Support Section/Student Consultation Service Counters of each college and school, etc.
- 3Placement Service Section/Educational and Academic Support Section of each college; Student Affairs Division for colleges and Distance Learning Division that do not have Placement Service Section
- 4Admissions Staff of the Academic Affairs Section of each college (prospective students for Nihon University)
- 5Each affiliated senior high school, etc.
8. Creation of a system concerning the prevention and resolution of conflict
When a student with disabilities thinks that they have been subject to unfair and discriminatory treatment, or when they have a complaint regarding the content and decision process of support including reasonable accommodation, their complaints will be received by the Students with Disabilities Discrimination Case Resolution Committee, and coordination to resolve conflicts from a third party perspective will be pursued. It should be noted that the place to make complaints to is the Student Affairs Section. If the faculty and staff members have treated students with disabilities in an unfair or discriminatory manner, or have failed to provide reasonable accommodation despite it not placing an excessive burden upon them, the Committee may report them to the Personal and Wages’ Committee.
9. Environmental development
Nihon University will try to revise the structure of the facilities it establishes, develop equipment, provide training for the relevant faculty and staff members, and develop the requisite environment.
10. Disclosure of information
In order to illustrate to prospective students with disabilities and current students with disabilities the University’s overall position and policy on acceptance, information concerning support for students with disabilities will be released on the University’s websites, etc.
Supplementary Provisions
This basic policy shall come into effect on July 1, 2025.
