A survey conducted by Mirairo helps understand the difficulties persons with disabilities are facing due to the spread of COVID-19, especially the challenges caused by the shift in working practices.

1. Impact of COVID-19 on
Persons with Disabilities
- Summary of Survey Results by Mirairo Inc.-
5th to 9th March, 2020
© 2020 Mirairo Inc.

2. Survey Outline
2
Purpose
To understand the difficulties persons with disabilities are
facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the
challenges caused by the shift in working practices.
Duration 5th
March 2020 〜 9th
March 2020
Target
■Monitors with disabilities registered on Mirairo Research
■Persons with disabilities who have Mirairo ID
Number of
Respondents
411 persons
Survey
Method
Online questionnaire
© 2020 Mirairo Inc.

3. ・The graph shows the types of disabilities of the respondents.
Respondent attributes
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 3
（n=411）
222⼈
47⼈ 47⼈
31⼈
24⼈
38⼈
201
65
42
34
29
21
11 8
0
50
100
150
200
250
Disability Types
Mobility
Impairment
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Multiple
Impairments
Unit︓person
Mental
Impairment
Other Developmental
Impairment
Intellectual
Impairment

4. © 2020 Mirairo Inc.
Qualitative Study on
the Impact of COVID-19

5. © 2020 Mirairo Inc. 5
Impact of COVID-19
Q1.What difficulties have you experienced as a result of the spread of COVID-19?
【Mobility Impairment】
・I cannot avoid touching the hand rims of my wheelchair, so I feel that my hands get dirty even though I use disinfectants.
・I use a wheelchair and am in a lower position than persons without disabilities. I am concerned, more than usual, that the
droplets from coughing and talking may splash on me.
・I have motor difficulty in my hands. When my mask falls off, I cannot put it back on by myself.
・Disinfectants are available in various places, but they are often placed at a height that wheelchair users cannot reach.
【Visual Impairment】
・I am very concerned because I touch things regularly in daily life.
・I cannot read the signs at shops announcing the availability of supplies including masks.
・There used to be more people who would offer to guide me, but I feel that they are more cautious these days.
・It is difficult for me to decide whether to put a mask on because I cannot see whether others are wearing masks or not.
・It is difficult to listen to someone wearing a mask.
【Hearing Impairment】
・I cannot converse with people wearing a mask. They seem annoyed when I ask them to remove it.
・I face a problem when there is no option but a phone call to make inquiries. I wish they could offer inquiry services through
e-mail or FAX.
【Mental Impairment】
・I feel panicked because I cannot tell which information is correct.
【Intellectual Impairment】
・My child with intellectual impairment doesn‘t want to wear a mask.（Comment from a parent）
（n=236）

6. Summary of the Impact of COVID-19
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 6
There are various problems persons with disabilities are facing under the COVID-19 pandemic.
◆ 39 respondents faced communication difficulties because of masks
About 90% of the respondents with hearing impairments who wrote comments pointed out that it is difficult for
them to lip-read because most people wear masks.
Some commented ”It is difficult under the current situation to ask them to take their mask off.” “I have asked for
communicating through e-mail or in writing.” ”I hope that transparent masks will be more commonly used.”
They are not necessarily asking for others to remove their masks, but trying to cope with what is available.
◆ 27 respondents shared their concerns for inability to take preventive measures
15 persons with mobility impairments shared similar concerns. Many expressed that they feel their hands get
constantly dirty from touching the hand rims of their wheelchairs. 11 persons with visual impairments also
commented that they are anxious because they need to touch things regularly.
They are aware of the need to prevent infection, but they are in difficult positions to practice preventive measures.
◆ Observations by Mirairo staff
Some of the problems can be solved right away by, for example, placing disinfectants at a lower level and
communicating in writing. On the other hand, some measures, such as distributing masks to those who have
underlying medical conditions and setting up inquiry services through e-mail or FAX cannot be taken by
individuals and need to be done by public authorities or companies.
Even within the short period of just five days, more than 400 people responded to the survey. It shows that
persons with disabilities are feeling the impact of COVID-19 and wish to share their difficulties to inform society
and to ask for as much consideration as possible. We need to overcome this adversity through understanding and
collaboration between persons with and without disabilities.

7. Survey on Working Practices
(Working from Home, Staggered Working Hours,
and Remote Meetings)
© 2020 Mirairo Inc.

8. 123
49 32
14
16
13 7
3
78 16 10 20 13 8 4 5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
・About 60% of the respondents are working.
Q2. Are you working now?（Including regular and irregular employment）
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 8
（n=411）
257
154
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Working Status
Total
Respondents
By Disability
Types
Mobility
Impairment
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Multiple
Impairments
Mental
Impairment
Other Developmental
Impairment
Intellectual
Impairment
Yes NoUnit︓person

9. ・About 40% of the respondents said their employers have a work from home system in place.
・Of those whose employers have the system, about 60% are actually working from home.
Working from Home
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 9
（n=253）
40
5
5
2
3 3
1
10
13
8
4
1
4
71 30 19 10 10 6 5 3
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
回答割合（障害種別）
59
40
154
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
回答割合（全体）
Q3. Do you work from home?
Total Respondents By Disability Types
I’m working from home My workplace offers a work from
home option, but I’m not doing it
No work from home
option in my workplace
Mobility
Impairment
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Multiple
Impairments
Mental
Impairment
Other Developmental
Impairment
Intellectual
Impairment
Unit︓person

10. Working from Home
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 10
Q4.What are the difficulties you are facing in working from home?
【Mobility Impairment】
・At home, I use a basic wheelchair, and sitting in it for a long period of time causes pain. It doesn’t happen at the workplace
because I use a different wheelchair for going outside.
・It is difficult to have my functional limitations understood through online communication. It is difficult to have get assessed
on which tasks I can perform and cannot.
・I cannot use the support service by assistants while at work (because of the regulations). I am dependent on my parents
while I work from home, including using bathrooms and taking lunch.
【Visual Impairment】
・I am concerned that I may not be able to get support I need in understanding visual information.。
・I have not been able to install a screen reader in the computer I use at home because it doesn’t have a hard disc. Moreover,
I cannot attach the braille display to the computer provided by the company. So, I cannot work as fast as I do in the office,
and there are some tasks I cannot carry out at home. I cannot use assistive devices because of security requirements.
・I use a desktop computer at work and a laptop at home. When working from home, I feel fatigue in my neck and back. In
addition, the screen and the keyboards are smaller and hard to use.
【Hearing Impairment】
・I cannot use a phone, so I would have difficulty in communication in case of emergency.
・Teleconferences are difficult for me to join.
【Developmental Impairment】
・I cannot concentrate on my work when I’m staying at home by myself. I am worried that I cannot complete my tasks as
planned. I also find it more difficult to get up in the morning compared with the time I was commuting. I tend to sleep in.
（n=34）

11. ・About 50% respondents said their employers have introduced a staggered working hours scheme.
・40% of those are using the scheme.
Staggered Working Hours
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 11
（n=248）
25
9
4
4
4 4
34
10
12
5
3
3
2
58 29 15 7 7 6 4 3
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
回答割合（障害種別）
50
69
129
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Q5. Do you use the staggered working hours scheme (to avoid rush hour commuting)?
Total Respondents By Disability Types
Mobility
Impairment
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Multiple
Impairments
Mental
Impairment
Other Developmental
Impairment
Intellectual
Impairment
I’m using the scheme No staggered working hours
scheme in my workplace
My workplace offers the scheme,
but I’m not using it
Unit︓person

12. 【Mobility Impairment】
・I cannot change my commuting schedule because the non-step bus schedule is fixed.
・Leaving home later than usual makes it easier to go to the office, but coming home later puts pressure on my body.
・I am not entitled to use the scheme because I drive to work.
・I have been diagnosed with developmental difficulties as a side effect of cerebral palsy. I find it hard to adapt myself to
changes, so I am not using the staggered work hours scheme.
・I use welfare taxis to work and don’t need to use the scheme.
【Hearing Impairment】
・I drive to work, so I don’t use the scheme.
【Mental Impairment】
・I have medical conditions and I don’t go to the office by choice. I don’t get paid or receive compensation from my employer. I
would like to have some support as I need to cover the medical costs.
【Others】
・I’m not using the scheme because that would disrupt the schedule for my hospital visits.
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 12
Q6. What are the difficulties you have experienced in using the staggered working hours scheme?
（n=29）
Staggered Working Hours

13. ・About 40% of the respondents said there are remote meeting systems in their workplace.
・70% of them are using the remote meeting systems.
Remote Meetings
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 13
（n=248）
Q7. Do you use remote meeting systems (video/phone conference)?
40
7
6 3
2
3
2
12
7
5
2
3
1
64 33 20 11 12 7 3 3
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
回答割合（障害種別）
63
30
153
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
回答割合（全体）Total Respondents By Disability Types
Mobility
Impairment
Visual
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Multiple
Impairments
Mental
Impairment
Other Developmental
Impairment
Intellectual
Impairment
I’m using remote
meeting systems
My workplace offers remote
meeting systems, but I’m not using them
No remote meeting systems are
used in my workplace
Unit︓person

14. 【Mobility Impairment】
・I cannot type fast and find it difficult to take notes.
・I am paralyzed from the neck down. I find it difficult to take notes while talking on the phone or watching the screen.
Long meetings take a heavy toll on my body.
・I cannot speak loudly, so other meeting participants cannot hear me well.
【Visual Impairment】
・The software used for remote meetings does not support the screen reader, making it difficult to operate the computer before
attending the meetings.
・I cannot see visual images just like in ordinary meetings.
・Sometimes I cannot hear other speakers voice clearly.
・I’m afraid I might not be able to use the software properly because I have never used my own computer for remote meetings.
【Hearing Impairment】
・I use a voice recognition app for regular meetings, which transcribes voice into words. I’m having problems because the
remote meeting system and the voice recognition app do not work well together.
・I cannot tell what others are saying in remote meetings.
・The sound quality is low, making it difficult for me to hear. The quality of image is also poor, so I cannot lipread.
・I am fine so far, but I’m afraid some people may find it difficult to understand the conversation due to the time lag between
the image and the sound.
・I cannot understand what’s being said. I don’t think I can join remote meetings.
【Developmental Impairment】
・I feel a little embarrassed because my room is untidy during videoconferences.
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 14
Q8.What difficulties have you experienced in remote meetings?
Remote Meetings
（n=25）

15. 【Mobility Impairment】
・I hope these measures will be more widely used as part of reasonable accommodation, not just for COVID-19.
・I hope that working from home will be an available option for anyone, regardless of disability.
・I hope that working from home and staggered working hours options will become available for everyone, not just for big
companies or regular employees.
・I am the only one in my company who is allowed to work from home. I’m practically cut off from my work and very unhappy.
The nature of the job in my division is such that it is impossible to do it from home.
【Visual Impairment】
・I think these measure will promote the social participation of skilled persons with disabilities.
・It is necessary to ensure anyone regardless of disability can work from home, but I think it is difficult to overcome issues on
security restrictions and assistive devices.
【Hearing Impairment】
・I am now self-employed. If I work for a company, I would be concerned how I would work from home. I cannot use the
phone, so I am concerned whether I can communicate smoothly and how I can join teleconferences.
・I hope that these systems will be equally accessible to everyone.
【Developmental Impairment】
・I think they are good systems, but I don’t think they would work for me. It’s good to have options.
【Multiple Impairments】
・It would alleviate the stress I feel during my commute.
【Other】
・Persons with disabilities are often hired as contract workers. Even if we want to take advantage of these systems, many of
us are not in the position to be entitled to use them.
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 15
Q9. Please share your thoughts on working from home, staggered working hours, and remote
meetings
Working Conditions
（n=124）

16. Summary on Working from Home, Staggered Working Hours, and Remote Meetings
© 2020 Mirairo Inc. 16
◆ Utilization of the systems and opinions differ by disability types
【Working from Home】
Persons with visual impairments who are using the screen reader or the braille display pointed out the difficulties they faced in
relation to computer functions and security restrictions.
【Staggered Working Hours】
Many of those who are driving to work mentioned that they are not using the staggered working hours scheme. There seems to
be a significant number or persons with mobility impairments who drive to work because of the barriers in public transportation.
【Remote Meetings】
Of these three systems, remote meetings are most widely used, however, persons with visual impairments and hearing
impairments shared the difficulties they have experienced in communicating online or by phone.
◆ The respondents gave more positive feedbacks than negative ones
65 commented positively on working from home, staggered working hours, and remote meetings. 18 gave negative feedbacks,
most of which were about the difficulties in utilizing the systems, not the systems themselves. There was a sense of hope and
expectations in such comments as “I want to see these systems widely adopted as part of reasonable accommodation” and “I
believe that more skilled persons with disabilities can utilize these systems to participate in society more actively.”
◆ Observations by Mirairo staff
These systems are welcomed widely regardless of their disability. For those with disabilities, whether their individual needs are
met becomes a crucial issue.
It is expected that many companies will introduce these systems as part of the work style reform. We hope that there will be
dialogues between the employers and the employees with disabilities to identify the challenges they are facing and what can be
done to enable them to work with ease.

17. © 2020 Mirairo Inc.