What I Can Share as a Social Worker with Cerebral Palsy and a Wheelchair User – Miku

*Information was verified on February 20, 2026, and some parts have been updated with the latest information.

We spoke with miku, who is actively working as a social worker in the welfare field while continuously sharing her experiences and thoughts on social media.

miku's social media receives supportive and empathetic comments from people with disabilities and parents struggling with raising children with disabilities. In 2023, her campaign that gathered signatures from about 46,000 people also drew attention.

We talked to miku about her passion for her activities, the origins of her values, and her driving force.

1. Who is miku?

1-1. Why she aspired to become a social worker (certified social worker)

[Interviewer (Writer): Yafuso / Interviewee: miku]

Yafuso: When did you start aiming to become a social worker?

miku: During high school, when I was considering what to study in college and researching what jobs were available after graduation, I came across the terms social worker and certified social worker.

Yafuso: At that stage, had you already decided to work in the welfare field?

miku: I had heard from an older acquaintance who uses a wheelchair that they were studying welfare, and I was curious about what kind of work and studies were available. Since I use a wheelchair myself, I think it was indeed something close to me.

Yafuso: What was your college life like?

miku: Looking back now, I realize that the university I attended valued each person's way of thinking, values, and ethics more than preparing for the national exam.

It was a university that emphasized self-awareness, or "facing oneself."

Yafuso: Did you also go for field training in preparation for the national exam?

miku: I went to a community comprehensive support center. I didn't think, "I want to go into the field of disability welfare because I'm disabled." I thought it would be disrespectful to compare myself.

I wasn't particular about the support target, so I thought I would end up in a different field like children or the elderly, and I happened to have a connection with a community comprehensive support center.

Yafuso: Was there anything particularly memorable during that time?

miku: The experience during that training was huge for me. The certified social worker who was my supervisor was someone who handled consultations while doing home visits and fieldwork.

Since I use a wheelchair, I wasn't sure how much I could do in terms of visits and fieldwork. I thought it couldn't be helped if I had to stay behind a lot, but that supervisor was amazing.

Even when visiting homes with many stairs, they took me along without any hesitation. They would actively ask people around, "Could you help lift this?" when dealing with steps.

Some families reacted negatively to having a wheelchair brought into their home, saying it would make things dirty. But the supervisor would say, "We'll clean the floor afterward," without a doubt.

They never apologized. They never treated me as if they were sorry for bringing a person in a wheelchair, but rather saw me as an individual, which was what that supervisor did.

Yafuso: That's wonderful! You met someone whose example you wanted to follow.

miku: On the last day of the training, I asked, "Do you think someone like me can work in the field?" and they replied, "I think you can absolutely do it." If I hadn't had that experience, I might have given up on working in the welfare field.

If there's even one person in the field who says that, I thought there must be others too.

1-2. Encouraged by a mentor's words during college. Lessons learned from training in Boston

Yafuso: It seems like you had a very rich experience during your college years. Were there any words that encouraged or motivated you?

miku: I think I'm very stubborn (laughs). If I think something is wrong, I can't stay silent. So there were many times when I thought, "I need to be careful not to hurt others," or "Maybe I should be more considerate of the atmosphere."

But each time, various people valued that part of me and showed me through words and actions that "miku is fine as she is."

What left a strong impression on me was when a professor in college said, "miku, you are someone who can rightly get angry when people's dignity is violated. Value that anger and use it as a driving force to move forward."

I often felt "lonely" during my student years because I thought I was different from those around me. I had my own opinions, but pursuing them felt lonely.

When I was wondering, "Will I be lonely for the rest of my life?" the professor taught me, "Raising your voice is lonely, but when lonely people connect, it becomes strength. So continue doing what you believe you should do."

Since I trusted my professor, no matter how lonely I became, I felt I should continue to value what I hold dear and keep doing what I need to do.

Yafuso: Those are truly wonderful words. I also heard you went on a study trip to Boston. What was particularly memorable about that?

miku: I participated in a program that involved a six-month internship in Boston.

Before going for the training, I thought about the "social model (disability is a societal issue, not an individual one)" and felt, "They say disability is a societal issue, but in the end, individuals are held responsible, and they have to make efforts or endure."

However, in the U.S., there's a strong movement where people raise their voices to protect their rights. Seeing that made me realize, "Instead of giving up because we're a minority, we need to raise our voices to change society."

If we want society to change, we must first change ourselves.

Even though I'm part of society, just wishing for change is extremely dependent on others. If I think that way, I realized that society won't change unless I take action. I learned that I need to act to bring about change.

1-3. The driving force and origin of action behind the signature campaign that gathered 40,000 signatures for JR

(Photo provided by Change.org.japan)

In April 2022, miku started a signature campaign to create a system that allows wheelchair users to board trains without having to miss several trains when using JR. In the fall of the same year, she submitted about 40,000 signatures to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Yafuso: What prompted you to start the signature campaign?

miku: I'm the type who can't stand seeing others experience unfairness more than experiencing it myself.

Usually, when I use trains, I think, "Why do we have to wait 20-30 minutes while people who can walk can jump on the train in front of them?" I had resigned myself to thinking that's just how it is for wheelchair users.

When I posted about it on Instagram Stories, a mother raising a son with a disability responded.

She sent me a message saying, "Do we have to live with the sadness and frustration, thinking it's just a small thing?"

Disabilities are not something anyone wants to have, and no one is at fault, so why do we have to live as if we've given up on life? I felt so powerless. I wanted to change the way society makes people feel that way.

I know society doesn't change quickly, but if we could solve just this issue with JR, maybe more moms and people with disabilities would feel like going out a bit more. I pondered for a few days about what I could do.

At that time, I consulted a friend who was working at the online petition site "Change.org," and they told me, "This is perfect for an online petition campaign, so please start it." After thinking about it for two days, I decided to "give it a try."

Yafuso: That's amazing, such determination.

miku: I launched the petition page in the evening, and by that night, 1,700 signatures had been gathered.

From there, I shared it on Instagram and called on friends, and within four days of launching, it exceeded 10,000 signatures. "We might really be able to change this together," I thought. The number of signatures submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism was 42,080, but now it's around 46,000.

2. Things don't always go as planned. Yet, life goes on.

Yafuso: Have you ever experienced setbacks where the goals you aimed for didn't come true?

miku: I think it might be the same for other wheelchair users and people with disabilities, but things generally don't go as planned by default.

For example, "The restaurant I wanted to go to only had stairs," or "I couldn't get on the train I wanted." Life itself is something that doesn't go as planned, so I don't try to control it.

But of course, there are times when I failed an exam or didn't achieve a goal, and those are shocking and frustrating.

However, even if a goal isn't achieved, there's another path, and when you go down that path, you encounter something, and when you look back, you think, "Because things didn't go well then, this path opened up, and it connects to now."

Even if things don't go well, I want to find meaning in it.

3. I am not a "pitiful person." What I cherish to achieve my goals

Yafuso: Is there anything you've valued to achieve your goals, such as starting to live alone?

miku: Not just for achieving goals, but what I value daily is being sensitive to my own discomfort.

There are times when you wonder, "Is this really what I want to do?" or "I don't really want to do this, but should I because everyone else is?"

That ultimately means you're not living honestly with yourself. So I'm always asking myself, "What do I really think?" This is my core.

4. A message to the readers

4-1. It's okay to say you can't try anymore, don't carry it alone.

(Photo provided by Change.org.japan)

Yafuso: What motivates you to share your thoughts on platforms like Instagram?

miku: Firstly, it's because it's very important for people to know.

Also, this is my impression, but sometimes the people who share seem too dazzling. Messages like "You can be happy even if you can't walk" or "Disability isn't unhappiness." Of course, everyone has their own way of living, so I don't oppose or deny those messages.

But life isn't just that, so there was a time when seeing those messages felt too bright and overwhelming. I wondered, "Is it wrong to feel troubled? Do I have to say I'm happy despite having a disability?"

But when I learned the importance of raising my voice in America, I felt that it's okay for my messages not to be all about shining stories.

I wanted to convey the message, "There are probably many people sharing shiny stories in the world. I want to share something a bit more human. You don't have to be strong, and there's meaning in struggling."

Of course, I share bright stories too, but there's a reason why I deliberately share my inner conflicts.

Yafuso: Have there been any particularly memorable reactions on social media?

miku: I often receive reactions from people with disabilities saying, "I felt like you were speaking for children who can't express themselves," "You put into words the feelings I couldn't express." I'm glad to receive such reactions.

4-2. You don't have to hide your feelings. It's okay to struggle and cry a lot.

Yafuso: What would you like to convey to those in similar situations or those who are struggling?

miku: I want to say it's okay to struggle, and it's okay to not be okay sometimes.

Yafuso: As you mentioned earlier, is it that making words too shiny or portraying not struggling as something wonderful is a bit off?

miku: I think it's impossible. Everyone struggles with something, and even if life doesn't go as planned, you'll definitely find another path. So, it's okay to struggle, and it's okay to not be okay sometimes. If you can think that way, you'll probably be okay. That's how I feel.

Yafuso: Those are very empowering words, thank you.

4-3. Convey what you want to say in words.

(Photo provided by Change.org.japan)

Yafuso: Are there any memorable episodes with people who have supported you?

miku: There are many, but especially, I was able to interact with various people regardless of whether they had disabilities because I had friends who would get angry with me.

When I was in elementary school, everyone helping me became a daily routine. They would pick up things I dropped and push my wheelchair without me saying anything.

There was a time like that, and before I knew it, I thought people would help me without me saying anything.

Then, a friend suddenly started avoiding me. When I asked "Why?" they said, "Aren't you taking it for granted that everyone helps you because you're in a wheelchair? Instead of saying it's because you have a disability, if you want help, you need to say it in words."

When they said that, it really struck me. I realized I was indeed taking it for granted. Since then, I've thought that you need to express in words what you can't do or what you want others to do.

Yafuso: Are you still connected with those people?

miku: Most of the people who said those things to me are still connected with me.

5. Disability is no one's fault.

Yafuso: Do you remember how your family explained your disability to you and at what age?

​miku: In my case, since I was born with it, I noticed the differences with those around me before any explanations. So, rather than receiving a formal explanation, the topic of my physical disability naturally came up in daily conversations.

What I remember is reading a picture book with my mother called "Satchan's Magic Hand," about a girl born without fingers.

My mother would repeatedly say, "Kourai, you have a different disability than this child, but you were born a little early, so oxygen didn't reach your brain well, and that's why your hands and feet don't move well. But it's no one's fault. It's not Kourai's fault, and it's not Mom and Dad's fault either."

Through such conversations, I gradually understood my body. Thanks to that, I think I can now believe that "there's no point in blaming anyone or myself for the disability".

6. In conclusion

What I felt while talking with miku was not only her high level of determination but also her remarkable ability to articulate. Her sensitivity to the small discomforts of daily life and what is happening in society, and her ability to express them accurately and carefully resonate with people and challenge us to think about these issues.

Between 2025 and 2026, miku achieved her dream of studying abroad in the United States. Her experiences are also shared on Instagram. If you're interested in learning more about miku, please check out her Instagram.

miku: Instagram