Presentation Information
[SY-77-01]Unlocking Potential: Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage in the Modern Japanese Workplace
*Keita Suzuki1 (1. Kaien Inc. (Japan))
Keywords:
Neurodiversity,Disability Employment,Workplace Inclusion,Japan
This presentation explores Japan’s unique adoption of neurodiversity concept. Five domestic factors are crucial: 1) The government’s economic and tech-focused framing, creating both opportunity and limitation; 2) A 50-year-old disability employment quota system, for which neurodiversity offers a more nuanced alternative to a rigid binary; 3) An urgent labor shortage due to severe demographic decline, increasing the value of diverse talent pools; 4) Rising school and work absenteeism, indicating a need for more flexible societal structures; and 5) The recent growth of online self-advocacy movements, empowering individuals to share their own stories.
Analyzing these trends, we argue that neurodiversity is a strategic necessity for Japan. It provides a vital framework to harness untapped human potential, foster innovation, and address the nation's most pressing socio-economic challenges.
Analyzing these trends, we argue that neurodiversity is a strategic necessity for Japan. It provides a vital framework to harness untapped human potential, foster innovation, and address the nation's most pressing socio-economic challenges.