(Head office: Osaka, Japan; Osaka City; Representative: Toshiya Kakiuchi, Director; hereinafter referred to as "Milairo"), a universal design (hereinafter referred to as "UD") consulting company, has agreed to form a business alliance for the creation of UD spaces and has started collaboration with Milairo. (Head office: Osaka, Japan; President: Toshiya Kakiuchi; hereinafter referred to as "Mirailo"), a consulting company, have agreed to form a business alliance for the creation of UD spaces and have started collaboration.
Through this collaboration, we aim to combine Tanseisha's spatial creation planning, design, and technical capabilities with Mirairo's perspective and knowledge of people with disabilities to create spaces that everyone can use comfortably.
The two companies will first jointly conduct research and studies on barrier-free rooms in hotels and other accommodation facilities, and provide a one-stop service from consulting to planning, design and construction for the universal design of guest rooms, etc. In the future, they will also expand this collaboration to other fields, such as commercial facilities, cultural facilities, transportation hubs such as stations and airports, and Tourism related facilities.
Background of the collaboration
In recent years, against the backdrop of the aging of the population and the enactment of the Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, there has been a rapid increase in demand for universal design, particularly in transportation facilities, public facilities, and accommodation facilities.
In particular, for hotels and other accommodation facilities, adapting to UD has become an important issue amid an increase in new renovations and renovations due to amendments to the Barrier-Free Act and other related laws, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, and an increase in foreign Tourism.
In a survey * conducted by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2017 of 606 accommodation facilities nationwide, approximately 77% of respondents answered that there was a "route (pathway) that wheelchair users can reach without hindrance from outdoor corridors/main building entrances to the front desk/lobby," and approximately 79% answered that there was a "restaurant or cafeteria that wheelchair users can use." However, more than half of the respondents said that they did not have "Universal Rooms such as Barrier-Free Rooms or Universal Rooms," and approximately 83% of respondents also said that they did not have "Guest rooms that are easy for the elderly, disabled, etc."
*Source: "Questionnaire survey on the current state of barrier-free facilities in hotels and inns" (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
(http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001223223.pdf PDF)
Comment from Toshiya Kakiuchi, President and Chief Executive Of cer of Mirairo Inc.
Mirairo supervises UD from the perspective of barrier value, which means "turning disabilities into value." There are approximately 9.36 million people with disabilities and 35.15 million elderly people in Japan, and if we include stroller users, one in three of the total population experiences inconvenience when moving around or using facilities. In the future, UD will not only be important for a wide range of people to feel safe and comfortable, but it will also be important for businesses to see it as a way to attract customers and make profits. Through our collaboration with Tanseisha, we hope to create a pioneering example of UD that will attract attention not only from Japan but also from around the world.
Comment from Osamu Kobayashi, Director the Company
Our company has promoted UD as a group and has positioned UD as an important theme in our space creation business and has been practicing it. In addition, the entire company is cultivating a mindset of understanding diversity through initiatives such as "Universal Camp in Hachijojima" and "Universal Camp Tokyo" and "diversity training" for all executives and employees. Through this collaboration with Mirairo, we aim to further raise the level of UD and provide spaces that "move the hearts" of business operators and diverse end users.
The company was founded as a universal design consulting firm with the concept of "barrier value," which turns barriers into value. Many employees, including the president, are people with disabilities and LGBT, and they utilize the perspectives of those involved to plan, design, and create universal design for facilities and products, provide sign language and text relay services and sign language interpreter dispatch services, and provide education and training for companies, government agencies, and educational institutions. In 2018, the company received the highest award, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, at the Japan Venture Awards 2018.
Company name: Mirairo Co., Ltd.
Location: 8F Shin-Osaka Matsushima Building, 3-8-15 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City Prefecture 532-0011 (Head office)
VORT Ebisu Maxim 11F, 3-9-19 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0011 (Tokyo branch office)
Established: June 2, 2010 (Founded: May 28, 2009)
URL: http://www.mirairo.co.jp
Related information
Our website
CSR Initiatives > People-centered: Respecting people and their diverse interactions, and supporting their growth
News > Posted 2018.06.01 Applications are now open for participation in the 14th Universal Camp in Hachijojima
News > Posted 2018.04.17 Event "Universal Camp TOKYO 2018" will be held
*The contents of notices and news releases are current as of the date of announcement.
Please note that this may be subject to change without prior notice.