Lean on Me to Provide Practical Scenarios Based on Disability Understanding to NTT Business Solutions' AI-Powered Unconscious Bias Check and Training Tool "karafuru AI"

Lean on Me Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, Representative Director: Shunsuke Shimura, hereinafter referred to as "Lean on Me"), which aims to build a "social foundation" for realizing an inclusive society by developing e-learning "Special Learning" to deepen understanding of disabilities, is enhancing the value of "support that only humans can provide" in the AI era through disability-focused e-learning, and is working to improve the quality and safety of support through technology. We are pleased to announce that we have entered into a business partnership with NTT Business Solutions Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President and Representative Director: Hidenori Kinogami, hereinafter referred to as "NTT Business Solutions") and have begun providing practical training scenarios (questions) based on disability understanding for their generative AI-powered unconscious bias check and training tool, "karafuru AI".

Background of Business Partnership In recent years, with the increase in statutory employment rates and the obligation for reasonable accommodation due to the revision of the "Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities," the importance of promoting employment of persons with disabilities and advancing DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) in companies has been increasing. On the other hand, many managers and colleagues in the workplace express concerns such as: "I don't know how to interact with subordinates who have diverse characteristics." "I'm worried that the consideration I thought was good might actually be a burden." The background to this is the existence of unconscious assumptions and prejudices ("disability = this kind of thing") (unconscious bias), which often lead to communication misunderstandings and hinder the career development of individuals. Lean on Me has accumulated knowledge regarding understanding disability characteristics and appropriate ways of engagement through e-learning for disability welfare sites and companies. This partnership aims to realize training that cultivates "dialogue skills that can be used in actual workplaces" by combining this on-site knowledge with NTT Business Solutions' generative AI technology.

Partnership Details (Provision of Questions) Through this partnership, Lean on Me will develop and provide training scenarios (questions) for 1-on-1 meetings to be used within "karafuru AI". These scenarios are designed based on cases that are likely to occur in actual workplaces, such as: - Interviews with members who have less visible disabilities (mental, developmental, etc.) - Dialogues regarding work accommodations - Feedback sessions concerning performance or physical condition Users will input how they would engage in dialogue for the presented situation via text. Subsequently, they will receive feedback from the generative AI on aspects such as: - Presence of unconscious bias - Appropriateness of consideration for the other person's characteristics - More desirable direction for dialogue By receiving feedback from these perspectives, users will become aware of their own thinking and speaking tendencies, promoting behavioral change towards inclusive communication.

Features of This Initiative The feature of this initiative is that it changes the "quality of dialogue" rather than just acquiring knowledge. The scenarios provided by Lean on Me focus on the design of dialogue that is directly linked to daily management, such as "how to listen," "how to perceive," and "how to convey," going beyond just understanding disability characteristics. This makes it possible to improve the quality of on-site decision-making and engagement, which cannot be covered by understanding regulations or general theories.

About "karafuru AI" "karafuru AI" is an unconscious bias check and training tool that utilizes generative AI, provided by NTT Business Solutions. It promotes introspection and behavioral change by repeatedly training with AI using common 1-on-1 workplace scenarios. (Awarded at "HR Award 2025") - Service Details: https://www.nttbizsol.jp/service/karafuru-ai/

Future Development Through this partnership, Lean on Me and NTT Business Solutions will support the improvement of D&I management skills for corporate managers and HR personnel, and aim to establish high-quality communication that overcomes unconscious bias. Moving forward, both companies will deepen their collaboration and contribute to the realization of an inclusive society and organization where everyone can demonstrate their abilities as themselves, regardless of disability.

Company Overview 【NTT Business Solutions Corporation】 Location: 4-15-82 Higashinodacho, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture NTT WEST i-CAMPUS Representative: President and Representative Director Hidenori Kinogami Established: October 2013 Business Activities: Planning, design, development, construction, maintenance, operation, and management of information and communication systems and networks, etc. URL: https://www.nttbizsol.jp/

【Lean on Me Co., Ltd.】 Location: 11-7-217 Takatsuki-cho, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture Representative: Representative Director Shunsuke Shimura Established: April 2014 Business Activities: Provision of "Special Learning," e-learning training exclusively for disability welfare; provision of "Special Learning for business," disability understanding training for companies, etc. URL: https://leanonme.co.jp/