The NEC C&C Foundation symposium entitled “Post-Retirement Move Back to Communities and Information Accessibility” was held with the support of the Yomiuri Shimbun and IISE. Consideration for accessibility was apparent at the Izumi Garden Conference Center by condensed transcription and sign language interpreting services provided during the symposium. The keynote speech entitled “Computerization of Regional Communities and the Participation of the Elderly and Disabled in Society” by Mr. Hiroya Masuda, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and former Governor of Iwate Prefecture, started the symposium. Discussions on the participation of the elderly residents in regional community and the issues relating to it followed the speech.

Ms. Yuma, IISE Senior Research Fellow presented a case study on information accessibility and local communities in Canada.

The information materials distributed at the seminar are posted on the website of NEC C&C Foundation.

Speakers and program:
13:30 Opening speech by Hajime Sasaki, Chairman, NEC C&C Foundation

13:35 Keynote speech entitled ““Computerization of Regional Communities and the Participation of the Elderly and Disabled in Society” by Hiroya Masuda, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and former Governor of Iwate Prefecture

14:15 Sampling of Community Efforts:

Case 1: Senior’s SOHO Training Salon/Mitaka, NPO

Presenter: Kiichiro Horiike, Adviser to the Senior’s SOHO Training Salon/Mitaka, NPO

Case 2: NPO Machidukuri Support Net Genki Na Iruma

Presenter: Naoya Watanabe, Secretary-General, NPO Machidukuri Support Net Genki Na Iruma

14:55 Report on an overseas case study “Canadian Experience”

Presenters: Naoki Sakakibara, Senior Research Fellow, UDIT (Universal Design Institute for Information Technology) Inc.
Kazuko Yuma, Senior Research Fellow, IISE

15:30 Panel discussion: Seniors! Take Your IT and Return to Community.

Moderator: Hajime Yamada, Professor, Faculty of Economics, Toyo University

Panelists: Kiichiro Horiike, Adviser to the Senior’s SOHO Training Salon/Mitaka, NPO;
Naoya Watanabe, Secretary-General, NPO Machidukuri Support Net Genki Na Iruma;
Minako Ando, Kumatomo Senior Net;
Chika Sekine, President, UDIT Inc.

17:00 Closing speech by Hiroshi Gokan, Executive Director of the NEC C&C Foundation