Ms. Seiko Noda, Chair of the Project Team(standing) expressing her enthusiasm.

The Women Ruling Coalition Parties "Policy Making Board" (chaired by Ms. Mayumi Moriyama, Minister of Justice) held a kickoff ceremony of an Expeditious Project Team to Forming a Universal Society (headed by Ms. Seiko Noda, former Minister of Posts and Telecommunications) at the House of Representative.

The Project Team consists of 21 women members of the ruling coalition parties namely LDP, New Komeito and Conservative Party. They place the people with disabilities as the challenged (a positive expression to call them as the people given by God a challenging task), and the Project Team aims to build a society where the challenged can show and share their capabilities.

Ms. Toshiko Hamayotsu, vice chair of the PT and member of the House of Councilors addressed at the kickoff ceremony. "We should take a realistic viewpoint of placing them as the people to be supported for their independence rather than objects of protection. Ms. Seiko Noda, chair of the PT expressed her ambitions saying "Challenged is a keyword in a broad sense comprising the weak in society, and we are trying hard to build an affluent society so that they can live together.

The ceremony was followed by a lecture by Ms. Nami Takenaka, chair of Prop Station, a social welfare NPO supporting the people with disabilities with IT based trainings for their employment opportunity. She introduced those challenged who are active as professional designer and programmer, and emphasized with a preface "it's a stimulating expression. "That she is proposing to reform the society where the challenged can become taxpayers and contribute their country with pride that they are supporting members of society, too."

Then, Mr. Yoshihiro Kaiya, representative of Japan Barrier-free Association (NPO), and a challenged by himself, mentioned about ADA (Americans with Disability Act). He told that it is important for us to adopt the spirit of ADA prepared for compensation of damage and restoration of rights.

Ms. Hamayotsu, the vice chair said at the press conference after the ceremony . "We would like to scope the cooperation with education and employment promotion. Full cooperation of the respective ministries are most appreciated as we are considering of a legislation by the members not clashing with the existing Basic Law of the Disabled Persons." And Ms. Noda, the chair added. "There's no time limit for the Project Team. We will start with fact-finding and close investigation of the existing law in force."