Welcome to the website of the Duskin Leadership Training Program in Japan: a program for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.

The Program is designed for young people with disabilities living in Asia and the Pacific who wish to become future leaders and work for the benefit of the disabled community. It is sponsored by the Duskin Ainowa Foundation and implemented by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).

The Duskin Ainowa Foundation was established in 1981, the International Year of Persons with Disabilities, by a Japanese company called the Duskin Co., Ltd., in cooperation with the Duskin Group of companies. Since then the foundation has been committed to promoting the social welfare of persons with disabilities and helping to create a society wherein all persons with disabilities can enjoy full participation as citizens. Its slogan – “May I help you?” – is considered in all the activities of the foundation.

The foundation has two projects: the Duskin Study Abroad Leaders Program for the Disabled; and the Duskin Leadership Training Program in Japan. The former provides scholarships to Japanese youngsters with disabilities who wish to study abroad. It is sub-divided into Individual and Group Programs, and every year 10-30 people travel to educational- and other institutions in different countries, either as individuals or in a group of students. Between 1981 and 2010, for example, 429 persons with disabilities studied abroad on this program. Their destinations included Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA. More information can be found on the foundation’s website (Japanese only): http://www.ainowa.jp.

The latter program (the Duskin Leadership Training Program in Japan) was launched in 1999, as part of the Asia and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (1993-2002). It recruits young people with disabilities living in Asia and the Pacific who wish to study disability issues in Japan and gain the necessary skills and knowledge to bring back home, in order to improve the situation of the disabled population in their own countries. This is the program's website, and more information can be found by clicking on 'Our Program' at the top of the page.

The Duskin Co., Ltd. is a Japanese private firm based in Esaka, Osaka. The company was first established by Seiichi Suzuki in 1963 as Sani Clean Co., Ltd. then changed its name to “Duskin” in the following year. Traditionally, “Duskin” has been well known for its cleaning products and services in Japan, but it also owns a number of restaurant businesses across Japan. The company promotes independent living for persons with disabilities via the Duskin Ainowa Foundation, but also directly organizes a number of clean-up and tidy-up projects for local residents and school children around the country.

The Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD) is a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation located in Shinjuku-Ward, Tokyo. It was established in 1964 with the aims of facilitating cooperation among domestic organizations of/for persons with disabilities, and strengthening the networks between Japan and other countries in the field of disability. In 1969, it introduced the international Symbol of Access (ISA) – a symbol of a person in a wheelchair, marking buildings and facilities which are accessible to persons with disabilities – to Japan.

The JSRPD is engaged with a wide range of activities, such as research, organizing conferences and providing various types of training. The Training Section of the organization has been entrusted to implement the Duskin Leadership Training Program since its initiation in 1999. It has also been commissioned to operate a number of training programs by other organizations including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).