視点論点／かよこ なかばやし： 障害者を介護士に育成しよう

朝日新聞の論説を引用しました。
辞書なしでほぼ１００％理解できます。
caregiver 介護士
deaf　耳の聞こえない
mute　話す機能障害のある
（放送禁止用語は自由奔放な表現を制限する面もありますね。）
job-hoppers 職業を転々とする人々
vulnerable=weak=弱い、脆弱である
障害者も健常者と同等の働く権利を与えられるべきですね。
私が入院していた都立駒込病院の医療相談室には、
盲目の男性が盲導犬同伴でここで働いていました。
素晴らしいことだと思います。
（スラチャイ）

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
POINT OF VIEW/ Kayo Nobayashi: Train people with disabilities to be caregivers
視点論点／かよこ　なかばやし：　障害者を介護士に育成しよう

Japan's dire shortage of nursing care providers is drawing much attention.

Measures aimed at alleviating the shortage include importing care workers and nurses from Indonesia from last year and the Philippines from May. The Indonesian group began working this year after receiving language and other training.

Moreover, Japanese workers who lost jobs in the recession have been invited to recruitment sessions by welfare facilities hoping they will consider working in nursing care. Wages for caregivers are expected to be raised.

Still, it remains to be seen how effective such moves will be to meet the growing need for care workers.

As a social worker, I have long experience in the fields of medical care and nursing. One thing I have learned is that having an aptitude for the job is important for anyone doing such work.

As the director of an elder-care home, for whom I have great respect, once said to a group of prospective employees: "Regrettably, nursing-care work is not for everyone. Some people are just not cut out for the job."

I agree. Caring for others in need of help is a vocation. It is not the sort of work that job-hoppers should do if they simply want to earn enough to make ends meet while they look around for something that pays better.

Speaking of aptitude, when I look around, I notice many disabled people who are vigorous, sincere and considerate. Many such people have varying levels of disabilities, and of course, some are unable to work because of their disability.

However, many others are strong enough and capable of handling the job of nursing-care worker.

Generally speaking, people with disabilities are socially vulnerable. For that reason, they tend to be able to better understand the pain that others feel and are inclined to be kind and caring.

With some support, I believe many such people can be hired to work in nursing-care services.

Society today mistakenly believes that all people with disabilities are incompetent and unable to handle the work of a caregiver. This is definitely not true.

For example, in the Kansai region, people with hearing impairments, known as "deaf-mute helpers," are employed as caregivers for the elderly. People with intellectual disabilities also work alongside certified care workers after undergoing training to be an assistant. Still, there are only a few such cases.

Unfortunately, most disabled persons find no opportunities to receive training to become home-care workers or certified care workers, and few facilities hire them. While there are many relatively energetic, young disabled people who could easily do such work, nursing is not a career option for most of them.

In Sweden, the state-backed company Samhall AB employs people with disabilities. It trains such employees to work as care workers and runs services for the elderly staffed by disabled people. Japan would be wise to adopt a similar system of support.

Under the Services and Support for Persons With Disability Law that came into force in April 2006, employment support for disabled persons is an important theme.

If the government is serious about this, I urge it to create more opportunities for disabled persons to acquire the qualifications needed to become care workers and to support places where they too can work as members of the nursing workforce.

Moreover, care workers can also learn much from their disabled colleagues. Disabled people deserve wider career choices and opportunities for self-realization.

* * *

The author is a certified social worker.(IHT/Asahi: August 29,2009)