【Event Announcement】Learning Survival Strategies for the Visually Impaired from Survey Results: Overcoming the Turbulence of Employment, Retention, and Career Advancement. The Association for Supporting Employment of the Visually Impaired (Turtle) will hold a lecture on June 20th.

In recent years, the employment environment for the visually impaired has undergone rapid changes due to changes in employment conditions and technological advancements. While opportunities for employment have expanded due to the raising of the legal employment rate for the disabled, strategies for survival, including retention in the workplace and subsequent career advancement, are strongly demanded of individual stakeholders and supporters.

At this lecture, Taketo Ito, who became blind at the age of 15 and later became one of the representative researchers in the field of research on employment for the disabled, will present specific insights and practical strategies on how the visually impaired can overcome the turbulence of employment, retention, and career advancement, using the latest data and survey results. The lecture is already open to participants beyond members, including stakeholders, families, corporate stakeholders, and medical and welfare professionals, for widespread information dissemination.

Date and Time: Saturday, June 20, 2026, 13:30-15:20

Event Name: The Association for Supporting Employment of the Visually Impaired (Turtle) 2026 Annual General Meeting Commemorative Lecture

Theme: Learning Survival Strategies for the Visually Impaired from Survey Results: Overcoming the Turbulence of Employment, Retention, and Career Advancement

Format: Hybrid event with online streaming via Zoom and in-person venues in Tokyo, Sendai, Okayama, and Fukuoka

Tokyo Venue: (Social Welfare Corporation) Japan Center for Development of the Visually Impaired, Basement Meeting Room Address: 2-5 Hon-sho-yoshicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0003 8-minute walk from Yotsuya Station on the JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, and Nanboku Line

Target Audience: Visually impaired individuals, their families, corporate HR and disability employment personnel, medical and welfare and education professionals, and others interested

Organizer: Certified NPO Association for Supporting Employment of the Visually Impaired (Turtle)

Supporters: Japan Ophthalmological Society, Japanese Society for Low Vision Research, Association for Visual Impairment Rehabilitation, Social Welfare Corporation Japan Center for Development of the Visually Impaired

Details URL: https://www.turtle.gr.jp/news/2782/

【Speaker】 Taketo Ito (Senior Researcher, Comprehensive Center for the Disabled, Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, the Disabled and Job Seekers)

Completed the doctoral course at the Graduate School of International Political Economy, Keio University in March 2009. After serving as an assistant professor at Keio University's Faculty of International Political Economy and a researcher at the University of Tsukuba's College of Human Sciences, he has been in his current position since November 2018. He is deeply involved in research on vocational rehabilitation for the disabled, particularly in supporting employment, continued employment, and career development for the visually impaired. Senior Researcher, Comprehensive Center for the Disabled, Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, the Disabled and Job Seekers

About the Certified NPO Association for Supporting Employment of the Visually Impaired (Turtle) A new logo for Turtle was established to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its founding. The association is a certified NPO that supports the employment and re-employment of visually impaired individuals, including those who have become visually impaired later in life, as well as their continued employment and career advancement. Through the provision of information, the operation of consultation windows, and the holding of exchange meetings and salons, we aim to create an environment where individuals can fully demonstrate their abilities and continue to work independently in society.

【Media Contact and Inquiries】 Organization: Certified NPO Association for Supporting Employment of the Visually Impaired (Turtle) Secretariat Address: 2-5 Hon-sho-yoshicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0003 Inside Tokyo Workshop, Japan Center for Development of the Visually Impaired E-mail: mail@turtle.gr.jp Official Website: https://www.turtle.gr.jp/