【Survey of Disability Employment Officers】Over 70% of Officers Are Part-Time; Only About 30% Have Authority Over Personnel, Resources, and Budgets Despite Management Expectations for Employment Rate Achievement and Post-Hiring Workforce Integration

Kabe-nashi, a corporate support service for disability employment operated by SMS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masaki Takahata; Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market; hereinafter "the Company"), has conducted a "Survey on the Current State of Disability Employment" targeting 157 disability employment officers across Japan. With the statutory employment rate set to increase to 2.7% in July 2026, this survey aims to understand the actual conditions of those responsible for promoting disability employment and to identify current challenges in order to provide insights for higher-quality disability employment practices.

The survey results revealed that while disability employment officers face expectations from management not only to meet employment quotas but also to integrate and enhance the productivity of hired individuals, they often lack adequate discretion, staffing resources, and organizational know-how for inclusive workplace practices. The findings suggest that advancing disability employment requires not only securing resources and decision-making authority for officers but also improving overall workplace readiness, including host departments.

• Kabe-nashi Corporate Disability Employment Support Service URL: https://hr.kabe-nashi.jp/

【Survey Summary】

1. The top expectation disability employment officers perceive from management is "achieving the employment quota (65.6%)", followed by "ensuring active contribution and workforce integration after hiring (58.0%)"

2. Only 33.8% of officers have full authority to independently approve budgets or make organizational changes related to disability employment

3. 72.6% of disability employment officers hold concurrent responsibilities; only 26.1% are dedicated full-time

4. Only 19.1% of officers feel they have sufficient support staff for disability employment tasks

5. Only 35% reported having adequate internal and external consultation and collaboration systems for disability employment

Approximately two out of every three companies indicated insufficient internal or external consultation and cooperation frameworks

6. 69.4% of officers experience difficulties in aligning expectations and adjusting environments between assigned departments and employees with disabilities, suggesting a lack of necessary know-how for workplace stability

7. The biggest barrier to direct employment (on-site integration) is "lack of specialized knowledge and know-how in host departments, resulting in inadequate readiness (29.9%)"

8. Next are "inability to identify suitable tasks to assign to persons with disabilities (24.8%)" and "insufficient capacity or staffing in host departments to support integration (17.2%)"

≪Selected Open-Ended Responses≫

• It takes time to define suitable tasks; identifying assignable work is difficult. Also time-consuming to select appropriate host departments.

• We have a goal to meet the statutory employment rate by 2030, but we cannot find departments willing to accept employees with disabilities.

• We have ideas to streamline hiring, but cannot implement them due to limited budget and manpower among hiring staff.

• Many people know the term "disability" but do not understand the reality. Without understanding, they cannot be utilized as productive members. Companies should build systems to leverage them as assets, but spreading such awareness across the entire organization is difficult.

【Detailed Survey Results】

1. The top expectations officers perceive from management are "steady achievement of the statutory employment rate (compliance) (65.6%)" and "ensuring post-hiring performance and workforce integration (productivity enhancement) (58.0%)"

This indicates that corporate leadership, like the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, increasingly values the "quality" of employment.

2. Only 33.8% of officers have full authority to independently approve budgets or make staffing changes for disability employment initiatives

The largest group (46.5%) reported having the right to propose actions but not the final decision-making authority, suggesting about 70% lack full autonomy over budget and staffing decisions.

3. 72.6% of disability employment officers reported holding concurrent roles

Only 26.1% are full-time dedicated officers, representing roughly one in four.

4. Only 19.1% of officers said support staff are "sufficiently available" for disability employment tasks

80.9% of respondents overall indicated feeling understaffed or overburdened under the current structure.

5. Regarding internal and external consultation and collaboration systems for disability employment, the most common response was "a system exists but does not function effectively (48.4%)"

Combined with "no system exists; only the officer is taking action (16.6%)", this totals 65%, meaning approximately two out of every three companies lack effective consultation and collaboration frameworks.

6. 69.4% of officers reported difficulties in aligning expectations and adjusting environments between host departments and employees with disabilities

This suggests a lack of foundational knowledge sharing and job design practices necessary for smooth integration and workplace stability.

7. The biggest barrier to direct employment (on-site integration) is "lack of specialized knowledge and know-how in host departments, resulting in inadequate readiness (29.9%)"

This is followed by "inability to identify suitable tasks to assign to persons with disabilities (24.8%)" and "insufficient capacity or staffing in host departments (17.2%)"

This indicates challenges not only in know-how but also in job design and integration systems.

8. Top expectations for external support include "support or delegation for explaining to departments and creating manuals (31.8%)" and "access to expert consultation windows (26.8%)"

These top responses suggest a strong need for expert guidance to help on-site teams become self-sufficient.

Summary

With the statutory employment rate set to rise to 2.7% in July 2026, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare emphasizing the "quality" of employment, companies are now expected to go beyond merely meeting numerical targets. They must also create environments where employees with disabilities can fully utilize their abilities—focusing on qualitative improvement.

This survey confirms that corporate leadership expects more than just quota compliance; they also expect successful integration and sustained employment of individuals with disabilities. However, at the operational level, officers face overlapping challenges of insufficient staffing and limited authority, while lacking adequate internal and external support. This results in disability employment challenges being disproportionately concentrated on individual officers. With limited resources and decision-making power, officers struggle to disseminate necessary know-how across the organization—including host departments—leading to a situation where continuous officer mediation is required between employees with disabilities and their assigned teams. This bottleneck hinders progress on both quantitative and qualitative fronts.

The Company itself faced similar challenges when it began internalizing disability employment in 2020, gradually adjusting and improving its approach. Today, its internal disability employment unit, the Shared Services Group, handles around 400 types of tasks carved out from HR, administration, and business divisions, contributing directly to core business productivity. Comprising about 90 employees, 90% of whom have mental or developmental disabilities, the group has also established career pathways allowing experienced members to transfer to other departments.

Furthermore, starting June 2026, the Company launched the "Kabe-nashi Corporate Disability Employment Support Service" (URL: https://hr.kabe-nashi.jp/), leveraging insights gained from its internal practices. Looking ahead to the 2.7% employment rate and beyond, the service will support companies in building internal integration systems and sharing knowledge—providing "in-house support" to help solve challenges in corporate disability employment.

【Survey Overview】

"Survey on the Current State of Disability Employment Officers"

• Survey Period: April 21, 2026 (Mon) – May 18, 2026 (Sun)

• Target: Officers responsible for disability employment at companies nationwide (HR, general affairs, etc.)

• Total Responses: 157

• Conducted by: SMS Co., Ltd.

• Method: Web-based questionnaire (distributed via Kabe-nashi corporate service users and commissioned to GMO Research & AI Co., Ltd.)

* Figures are rounded to the second decimal place; therefore, totals may not sum to exactly 100%.

Comment from Business Leader

Kohei Ohnuki, Group Leader, Disability Employment Support Group, Disability Welfare Support Department, Well-being Support Business Headquarters, SMS Co., Ltd.

This survey reaffirms that while management expectations are rising, implementation officers continue to face resource and authority constraints. The fact that nearly 70% (69.4%) of officers, most of whom are already handling multiple responsibilities, report difficulties in workplace coordination suggests that challenges are becoming isolated at the individual level. This aligns closely with what we hear daily from companies seeking our advice.

In fact, our own company hit the same wall when we began fully internalizing disability employment in 2020. Through trial and error, we learned the importance of moving beyond individual efforts and instead building organizational systems and inclusive workplace environments. Based on this practical knowledge, our internal employment unit has grown to about 90 members—90% of whom have mental or developmental disabilities—and now contributes directly to improving core business productivity.

With the 2.7% statutory employment rate approaching, companies are under increasing pressure to ensure the "quality" of employment. Through our "Kabe-nashi Corporate Disability Employment Support Service", launched in June 2026, we offer services rooted in real-world, firsthand experience—including "in-house support"—to help companies overcome these challenges.

By partnering with each company to advance disability employment, we aim to solve challenges on both quantitative and qualitative levels, ultimately contributing to our mission of "enhancing the well-being of people who face difficulties due to disability."

【About "Kabe-nashi" Corporate Disability Employment Support Service】

This service supports companies in disability employment by guiding them from initial consultation to full implementation. It offers end-to-end solutions, including consulting, training, recruitment, and retention support, to address key challenges in disability employment.

• Corporate URL: https://hr.kabe-nashi.jp/

【About "Kabe-nashi Job Navigator"】

A job placement service for job seekers with disabilities, enabling nationwide job searches based on job types and workplace accommodations. Dedicated career partners with expertise in recruitment services and disability welfare facilities analyze labor market trends, employer needs, and individual characteristics—including disability type, interests, skills, and experience—to facilitate optimal matches between job seekers (with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities) and general enterprises.

Post-hiring, the service conducts follow-ups on employees' psychological and health status, and provides reporting, communication, and consultation to employers as needed, supporting long-term job retention for both employers and employees.

• Job Seeker URL: https://dei-go.com/

【About "Kabe-nashi" in Disability Welfare】

"Kabe-nashi" is a comprehensive support brand targeting people with disabilities, companies employing them, disability welfare providers, and their staff, with the mission of "enhancing the well-being of people who face difficulties due to disability." The name "Kabe-nashi" (meaning "no barriers") reflects the social model of disability, which views disability not as an individual trait but as a result of societal barriers. The brand's core concept is to eliminate these social barriers through its business activities. In addition to this service, it offers "Kabe-nashi Cloud" for disability welfare providers.

【About SMS Co., Ltd.】

Founded in 2003, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2011, and moved to the Prime Market in April 2022. The Company's mission is "to enhance people's quality of life and contribute to society by building information infrastructure suited for an aging society." It develops and operates services at the intersection of "an aging society and information."

Name: SMS Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Sumitomo Fudosan Shiba Koen Tower, 2-11-1 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: President and CEO Masaki Takahata

Founded: April 2003

Capital: 2.55172 billion JPY (as of March 31, 2026)

Employees: 4,660 consolidated, 3,214 standalone (as of March 31, 2026)

Business: Viewing healthcare, nursing care, disability welfare, healthcare, and senior life as key areas in an aging society, the Company builds information infrastructure platforms connecting end users, caregivers, and service providers to deliver value.

URL: https://www.bm-sms.co.jp/