Special Contents 2 Special Contents 2 Employing People with Disabilities Working Together with People Who Have Disabilities Society consists of those who have disabilities and those who do not. Our workplaces, we think, should reflect this reality. UNIQLO Japan endeavors to have on staff one disabled person per store, and there are currently individuals with disabilities working in 90% of our stores. We believe: Accepting one another’s differences is important, and people acknowledging those around them is important. UNIQLO Aeon Naha Store, Okinawa Rieko Uehara / Essay by Randy Taguchi 10 UNIQLO Nakamozu Store, Osaka Tetsuyoshi Yamada 13 UNIQLO Ubeshimizugawa Store, Yamaguchi Chieko Miura 14 UNIQLO Asakusa ROX Store, Tokyo Feature Essays Go Suzuki 15 01 I like you the way you are By Randy Taguchi UNIQLO’s employment of disabled persons continues to expand on a national level. UNIQLO takes pride in having a significant number of disabled people working at its stores—a number that has attracted the attention of various social welfare organizations. Author Randy Taguchi visited Okinawa to uncover the foundation for UNIQLO’s employment of people with disabilities, and here is what she discovered… Tosato Gima remembers the first time she met Rieko Uehara. “We were of different ages and we liked different things; and although our lives were very different, there was something about her that made me want to get to know her. With a hearing impairment, she’s unable to hear what other people are saying. Despite the disability, she is so full of life. She loves to work and laughs off the little things that are often troubling to so many of us. I felt drawn to her attitude toward life, as I too have problems. A person with a disability and the other without one—yet, I wanted to find a common understanding between us.” “We are all different; you are perfect the way you are. By helping one another, we could better live together.” What could not have been done by one person was accomplished by two. While this may sound like a dream, this story is true. Randy Taguchi Author. Began her writing career with her first novel Concent, published by Shinchosha (2000). Her works cover various themes related to the human heart. Her latest novel is entitled Perfect Day to Live Again, published by Basilico. 9 10 Special Contents 2 Rieko Uehara UNIQLO Aeon Naha Store, Okinawa Tosato Gima Without having experienced difficulties Hearing impairment UNIQLO Aeon Naha Store, Okinawa “I was scared of the customers at “We have had our serious quarrels, linked to disability, I know that life first, but Ms. Gima’s words gave me for instance when Ms. Uehara said challenges are something we both share courage.” ‘I can’t.’” Upon hiring someone with a disability, she always worked at the sewing she felt anxious with the thought that Ms. Uehara had come to believe repetition. As time passed, everyone Tosato Gima was given the machine in silence to avoid standing if she was around customers, she that she belonged in the background, became skilled at sign language, Employment of Disabled People out. If Ms. Uehara continued to would in some way fail, believing she but through Ms. Gima’s willingness and Ms. Uehara was able to say to Manual and was surprised by the distance herself from the others, she could not work as effectively as the to work with her, she had been customers, “I have a hearing information it contained. Everything would not be able to apply herself as other staff members. provided with strong support. impairment.” Moreover, a communal inside the manual was on procedures. a team member. Ms. Gima was also Ms. Gima sympathized with Ms. Ms. Gima had developed a sense feeling became present throughout Without substantive guidance, she worried that Ms. Uehara would not fit Uehara, a feeling that had stemmed of discipline from her mother, who the store. felt the company was merely throwing in unless she could in some way from always seeing Ms. Uehara raised her single-handedly after her Ms. Uehara commented, “Not the new employee into the workplace. express herself. working silently in front of the sewing father passed away when she was being able to speak out about “Something is missing,” she thought. “Ms. Uehara, why don’t you get machine. She came to realize, “No young. From her upbringing, Ms. disability is the hardest thing to live Rieko Uehara, who has a hearing yourself out there?” Ms. Uehara did matter how hard Ms. Uehara works, Gima’s heart was engraved with the with.” After all, disability is a precious impairment, was the first disabled not know how to react to this she cannot rid herself of her disability. idea, “People are meant to help part of her personality. person hired at the store under the question, as she had no previous job I am the one that must change.” Ms. other people.” News that employment of a employment of disabled people experience and, at the age of forty, Gima then decided she would learn As the two women shared their disabled person in Okinawa had been policy. After starting the job, Ms. UNIQLO was her first place of work. sign language. If she could own stories, they learned about each so successful spread to other stores Uehara constantly felt anxious and She needed to make a livelihood communicate with Ms. Uehara that other’s lives. We all have problems; across the country, eventually leading timid. Ms. Gima, assuming her and was grateful to be working way, then Ms. Uehara would have an although not all of us have to the reexamination of UNIQLO’s supervisory role, was concerned during a period when the economy outlet for expressing herself. Ms. experienced difficulties linked to employment of people with disabilities about Ms. Uehara after noticing that was weak. While working, however, Gima began learning sign language disability, life’s challenges are policy. The friendship between two from Ms. Uehara during breaks and something we all share. And despite people had changed the company. also introduced one sign pattern every person being different, certain Ms. Uehara is now in her fifteenth year Ms. Gima proposed having everyone learn one each day to the other staff members commonalities are found among all of of employment, and she and Ms. sign pattern a day during the morning meeting so in the morning meetings. us. These are what make us human. Gima are still close friends. that they could communicate with Ms. Uehara. Everyone was practicing sign The relationship between Ms. People come first. This, I language, which meant a lot to Ms. Gima and Ms. Uehara came to have discovered, is the foundation for Uehara, who felt a sense of an influence on other staff members. UNIQLO’s employment of people acceptance that gave her the People saw that even though certain with disabilities. courage to interact with those things may not be easily understood, around her. they can still be learned through “Not being able to speak out about disability is the hardest thing.” (Ms. Uehara) Ms. Gima and Ms. Uehara’s conversations through sign language are quite animated. Even without knowing sign language, their enjoyment in conversing with one another is obvious when you see them together. 11 12 Special Contents 2 02 03 Seizing another day! Meet Chieko, Tetsuyoshi Yamada the fashion lover UNIQLO Nakamozu Store, Osaka Limb apraxia Chieko Miura (left) UNIQLO Ubeshimizugawa Store, Yamaguchi Mental retardation Tetsuyoshi Yamada’s day begins started to crumble by Yoko Jinno (right) early and with haste. Every morning around the third month of Koeikai Center for Employment and Welfare he rides his bicycle to work and his employment. Support of People with Disabilities arrives before anyone else. This is his Gradually, he moved Employment Support Representative twelfth year working for UNIQLO, from mainly backroom and people in the area have gotten jobs to a position in which used to seeing him fly through the he was in contact with “I’ve heard about the company called Welfare Support of Persons with there. After all, if you like what you do, residential area at top speed. customers. Eventually, he ‘UNIQLO’ and that working there Disabilities, where Ms. Jinno works, you can maintain a sense of positivity He used to work in a bicycle- asked the store manager requires contact with customers, so I is different in that it supports the through your work. And while manufacturing factory before joining if he could work at the don’t plan on applying.” everyday lives of applicants as well as environments around us may change, UNIQLO with the desire to interact cash register. After leaving her last job, Chieko in their search for jobs. Ms. Jinno is I knew that because she had worked directly with customers. After taking “The store manager Miura found herself looking for a new Ms. Miura’s most trusted consultant. at the same place for quite a while, on his new job, Mr. Yamada soon was very concerned at one. On the day she called Yoko Ms. Miura was very positive about giving her a framework with which found himself facing a wall of others’ first, but looking back, I Jinno at the Koeikai Center for looking for a new job. When it came she could set a work routine, she had hesitancy, separating him from the can understand why.” Employment and Welfare Support of to UNIQLO, however, her passion an extraordinary work ethic. I was staff. He could tell they were asking How did it go? Persons with Disabilities, there was waned—she was not enthusiastic certain UNIQLO was actually the right themselves, “How should I act “I was scolded badly people checked their receipts after something different in her voice.