Today, 2 person from local government( the Suginami city) visited my home to grade the degree of my disability. The system about welfare for disabled in Japan is very complicated. It consists of 3 major system, about recognition of the disability by the prefectures( in my case, the Tokyo metropolitan government), granting of the pension by Social Insurance Agent, and provision of welfare service by the city.
There are 6 grades 1st to 6th about the last, the 6th is most severe grade. I was lated as 3rd in April 2007 and got only 3 hour of care at home per week. At that time, 2 person from this city visited my home and did the survey, but I felt they already concluded to grade me at 3rd and surveyed only ritually. I claimed the review but it was no dice. After the ritually surveying, I was graded at 3rd again in May 2007.
My doctor thought my daily life was too dangerous for me, and she approached to the city. So, today, I could get the surveillance. The 2 person from the city behaved very gently, asked the status of me and the predetermined 106 questions. The 106 questions and choices are the problems, because they are very coarse. For example, about walking, there are 3 choices “I can walk”, “I can’t walk” and “I can walk with support”. The difficulty and fatigue about walking are not considered. This time, they from the city heard my concrete speaking and recorded, but I couldn’t know what they recorded, because it’s predetermined to do “not” let us know what is happening about us.
Also, I must wait the decision of the city. After the surveillance, the committee in the closed chamber decides my grade. None of the committee know me and my daily life. They ( the city ) can decide unilaterally what I need. I wish live, work and study (I’m a doctoral student too) without anxiety , but it seems as the totally unrealistic dream.
