time. From now on, because the concept of "strengths to live" will become a major theme for study in pedagogy and in education in developmental disabilities, it should be reconsidered in greater depth.
Fulfillment of vocational education in high school is today one of the main issues in education for youth with disabilities. The Ministry of Education, in July, 1994, set up an advisory group to study what vocational education is in high schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. Their report about fulfilling vocational education and guidance in high schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, or intellectual disabilities was compiled in March, 1996. Following up on recommendations in the report, the Ministry of Education set up eleven regions to promote employment for graduates of schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. These regions were supposed to do practical research through affiliation and cooperation with enterprises or organizations related to labor, in order to encourage those companies to employ students graduating from such schools.
Expanding the activities of special classes for students with disabilities is another current issue.Special classes will play an increasingly important role in the future in terms of the promotion of education in the community for students with disabilities, and it is necessary to expand their functions. Since 1995,the Ministry of Education has given training in school management to principals whose schools have special classes for students with disabilities. Since 1996, fifteen regions were selected for research inorder to study education in special classes: the regions started practical research to promote the educational specialty of special class guidance through affiliation and cooperation with schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, or other mental and physical disabilities.
Obtaining a sufficient amount of equipment and facilities at schools for students with mental and physical disabilities is being done in each prefecture, but a new standard is needed. In 1994, a meeting was held for people who were investigating, studying, and cooperating on obtaining suitable school equipment; this meeting discussed how, in the future, facilities of schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, or other mental and physical disabilities should be arranged.
In December, 1995, the report, "About establishment of a guideline for arrangement of school facilities- the chapter for schools for children with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, or other mental and physical disabilities," was released. Following up on this report, the Ministry of Education prepared a guideline on the arrangement of facilities needed for schools for students with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, or other mental and physical disabilities.
E. Services in Institutions
1. Plans for people with disabilities and welfare institutions
On December 18,1995, at the headquarters for the promotion of measures for people with disabilities (Chief Director: the Prime Minister), it was decided to make a report titled, "Plan for People with Disabilities - A Seven Years' Strategy to Achieve Normalization". The headquarters for the promotion of measures for people with disabilities had already released "A new long-term plan on measures for people with disabilities". This is considered to be the most important implementation plan for further realization of the new longAerm plan in the Ministries concerned.
In the plan, the fulfillment of the functions and roles of institutions for people with disabilities were once more considered to be a key for a system of support for people with disabilities that stresses implementation of measures in health and social services in the community.
2. Role as service area and key institution
In December, 1978, the Central Welfare Council for Children decided that a city or the area covered by the Children's Guidance Office would be the catchment area for services, in order to promote total activities for community services for people with physical and mental disabilities, as well as for people with intellectual disabilities.
Also, in the plan for people with disabilities, it was decided that an area with a population of about
