Policies for Student Disability Support Services
1. Underlying Philosophy
Keio University established the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on April 1, 2018, to carry out the objective of building an environment conducive to staff, faculty members, and students of all ages cooperating and coexisting in a spirit of mutual respect and acceptance for one another's individual personalities and various values, and to facilitate prompt responses to issues relating to welcoming diversity. Keio also drafted the Charter for the Promotion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, which calls for the realization of a world in which we mutually respect each other's dignity and ensure that no one is isolated or excluded from society among people with a variety of backgrounds in terms of age, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), disability, culture, nationality, race, religion, and lifestyle. The university will strive to support students with disabilities by establishing basic policies and guidelines on support services and accommodations for students with disabilities. These efforts are in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was enacted in Japan on February 19, 2014; and the Guidelines for Promoting the Elimination of Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Projects under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT Bulletin No. 180, 2015), which was established based on Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Act No. 65, 2013), which came into effect on April 1, 2016.
2. Policies and Direction
i) Methods and Specific Support Mechanisms for Ensuring Educational Opportunities
Keio will strive to provide the necessary support and means to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access and equal quality of academic opportunities as other students.
ii) Improving Facilities and Study Environments
Keio will work to improve facilities and provide study environments while listening to the voices of students with disabilities so that they pursue their education and research at Keio University with safety and ease.
iii) Disclosure of Information
Keio will make efforts to actively inform students with disabilities and students who wish to enroll at the university about its admission practices and policies, as well as the barrier-free design of its campuses.
iv) Determining and Implementing of Academic Support Services
Services and accommodations will be deliberated and determined through constructive discussions that prioritize and center the education of students with disabilities. Services will be reviewed as necessary, listening carefully to the voices of those who require support.
v) Support System
Facilitated primarily by the supervisor at the student's undergraduate faculty or graduate school, Keio will strive to deliver support for students with disabilities while working closely together with the Office of Accessible Education and all other related organizations.
vi) Educational Methods
We will strive to ensure necessary information assurance practices, thorough communication for classes, fairness in examinations and grading, and other educational methods for students with disabilities.
vii) Promoting Understanding and Awareness of Disability
Keio will work to promote understanding and raise awareness among faculty, staff, and students regarding disabilities and support for students with disabilities by highlighting the need for such support.
June 1, 2022
Keio University
President Kohei Itoh