[Translation from English to Japanese ] Employing the mentally ill A law to promote the employment of disabled people...

Employing the mentally ill
A law to promote the employment of disabled people has succeeded in increasing their numbers in the nation’s workforce. It obligates both the government and private sectors to employ a certain number of physically and mentally disabled people. The government plans to submit a revision bill to the current Diet session to expand the scope of the law to cover people suffering from mental illnesses as well.

Although the obligatory employment of mentally ill people will start in April 2018 after a five-year grace period, the revision will play an important role in helping eliminate prejudice and discrimination against such people.

精神疾患者の雇用
障碍者雇用推進の法律が国の労働人口増加に役立ってきた。同法律では公的機関および民間企業が身体または精神に障碍を抱え人を一定数雇用することを義務付けている。政府は、精神疾患を抱える人々も対象とするよう同法律の適用範囲を拡大するため、今国会に修正法案を提出する予定だ。

5年の猶予期間の後、2018年4月に精神疾患者の雇用義務化が開始されるが、今回の法改正が精神疾患者に対する偏見と差別解消の推進に重要な役割を果たすだろう。