Nihon University stipulates herein its Basic Guidelines on Support for Students with Disabilities, in view of its public character, to ensure that there is no discrimination based on disability toward the University’s students or applicants, and to contribute to the realization of an inclusive society where people live together regardless of ability or disability with a mutual respect for their personalities and individualities.

　Pursuant to 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 these Basic Guidelines is to stipulate the basic matters regarding study support for students with disabilities at the University, and the requisite matters for the University’s faculty and staff members to respond in an appropriate manner.

　The definitions of the terms used in these Basic Guidelines are as follows.

(1) Persons with disabilities

All persons with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities (including developmental disorders) or other impairments in physical or mental functions (hereinafter collectively described as “disabilities”), who are continuously faced with considerable restrictions in their daily and social life due to disability or social barriers, and who participate in the education, research and any other of the general activities implemented by the University.

(2) Social barriers

All things, systems, customs, concepts, etc. in society that could be barriers from the perspective of people with disabilities in the pursuit of their daily and social life.

(3) Students

Students at and applicants for Nihon University, Nihon University Junior Colleges, and its various attached special training schools, as well as pupils and children at or applicants for the Attached Schools (the senior high schools, junior high schools and elementary school attached to the University).

(1) Unfair discriminatory treatment

　"Unfair discriminatory treatment" means refusing to provide students with disabilities opportunities in education, research and any other of the general activities implemented by the University based on disability and without justifiable reason. It also means, in the course of the provision of these opportunities, violating the rights and interests of students with disabilities by placing upon them restrictions on time and place or conditions not placed upon students without disabilities.
With regard to whether or not a reason is justifiable, judgments in each individual case shall be made following comprehensive and objective consideration of actual situations, etc. 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 implemented by the University; faculty and staff members shall, in the event that they judge that there is a justifiable reason, explain the reason(s) to students with disabilities and strive to obtain their understanding.

(2) Reasonable accommodation

　"Reasonable accommodation" means necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments, which are needed in a particular case but do not impose an excessive or undue burden, to ensure that students with disabilities enjoy, on an equal basis, all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
With regard to excessive burdens, the extent of the following factors (i) to (iii) shall be taken into consideration in each individual case, and judgments shall be made following comprehensive and objective consideration of actual situations, etc. Faculty and staff members shall in the event that they judge that an excessive burden is being imposed, explain the reason(s) for this to students with disabilities and strive to obtain their understanding.

(i)

Influence on education, research and other activities implemented by the University (whether or not their objectives, content or functions will be impaired)

(ii)

Extent to which responsible accommodation is practically feasible (physical and technical restrictions, human and systematic restrictions)

(iii)

Extent of financial and other burdens

The University’s system regarding the promotion of the elimination of discrimination based on disability is as follows.

(1)

The director of the system shall be the President, under whose leadership the University shall strive to promote the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities.

(2)

The leading manager of the system shall be the Vice-President (Student Affairs), who will assist the director in their duties, and strive to both ascertain the situation throughout the entire University and ensure that support is smoothly implemented at each faculty, department and school.

(3)

The persons in charge of the support system for students with disabilities in each faculty, department and school shall be the respective Dean (or Principal in the case of High Schools, etc.), and they shall implement the requisite decisions for the elimination of discrimination against students with disabilities at their faculty, department or school and develop an environment to help achieve this aim.

　Faculty and staff members of the University must not, in the course of their work or business, violate the rights and interests of students with disabilities by treating them in a manner that is unfair and discriminatory in comparison with the treatment of those without disabilities.

　In the event that students with disabilities express their wishes about removing social barriers to faculty and staff members of the University and the removal of the barriers is not an excessive burden, they shall provide reasonable accommodation(s) in order not to violate the rights and interests of students with disabilities.
When it is clear that the student in question requires the removal of barriers, including even when their wishes are expressed with the help of family members or when no wishes are explicitly expressed, faculty and staff members shall strive to suggest the reasonable accommodation that is thought to be appropriate for the student.

　Support contact points that will provide consultation for students with disabilities and their family members or other interested parties regarding the elimination of discrimination based on disability shall be established as follows.

(1)

Student Support Center

(2)

Student Support Section of each college and school, etc.

(3)

Admissions Staff of the Academic Affairs section of each college (applicants for Nihon University)

　The University shall conduct the following requisite training and education for faculty and staff members in order to promote the elimination of discrimination against students with disabilities.

(1)

Training to encourage understanding among faculty and staff members regarding the basic matters concerning discrimination based on disability.

(2)

Encouragement of understanding among faculty and staff members of the characteristics of disabilities and awareness education using manuals, etc. requisite for them to make appropriate responses.

　The University shall disclose information concerning support for students with disabilities on its websites, etc.

　Nihon University’s Basic Policy on Support for Students with Disabilities(PDF)