What Kind of Barrier-Free Society is Minori Kato Aiming for, Where Everyone Can Go Out with Peace of Mind?

*Information was verified and partially updated on February 20, 2026.

"I was trying to become the ideal disabled person."

Minori Kato says this.

Kato suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disease that makes her bones fragile, requiring assistance for most of her daily life at home.

Due to her disability, she was continually deprived of opportunities to challenge herself by those around her, leading her to suppress her feelings.

The turning point for Kato came with a single challenge.

This article is intended for those who are hesitant to take on challenges due to their disabilities, so please read to the end.

1. Who is Minori Kato?

1-1. The Barriers Felt in Special Education Classes and Facing Disability

[Interviewer (Writer): Akaishi / Interviewee: Kato]

Akaishi: What kind of personality did you have as a child?

Kato: I was extremely competitive and had a strong sense of individuality.

Until the second grade, I would eagerly volunteer to be the cheerleader for sports day and compete with my classmates because I didn't want to lose.

Akaishi: Until the second grade, you say?

Kato: From the third grade, I was encouraged by those around me to switch to a special education class.

At the elementary school I attended, there was only one class per grade, so being the only one in a different class made me feel excluded from the sense of belonging.

Of course, my personality didn't change overnight.

Even when I volunteered for roles like class leader, I was often told by classmates and teachers, "It's too difficult for Kato," which made me feel a barrier and gradually led me to spend my time quietly.

Akaishi: Was there no option to transfer to a special needs school?

Kato: When I was about to enter junior high, I expressed my desire to attend either a regular class or a special needs school.

However, my parents were concerned that attending a special needs school would isolate me from society, and they also worried about the risk of fractures in an active regular class, so I remained in the special education class even in junior high.

1-2. Trying Out a Part-Time Job at Home

Akaishi: You attended a regular class in high school, right? Were you worried about moving from a special education class to a regular class?

Kato: Not at all, quite the opposite. I was genuinely happy.

Since it was a high school a bit further away, I felt like I was starting fresh by making new friends, joining the student council as vice president, participating in club activities, and trying out part-time jobs, which I was discouraged from doing in junior high.

Akaishi: Many people with disabilities might give up on part-time jobs. Why did you decide to try one?

Kato: Because I wanted to earn money just like everyone else.

In my first year of high school, I researched sales management sheets online and started selling nail tips on a flea market site.

From that experience, I gained confidence that I could earn money from home if I researched and took action.

For part-time jobs, I researched many jobs I thought I could do and worked through crowdsourcing.

Akaishi: What enabled you to take such actions?

Kato: I think it was the environment around me.

Previously, I often felt like I was being treated as a nuisance, but in high school, even if I inconvenienced my friends, they helped me without showing any displeasure, allowing me to gradually regain my original self.

1-3. Regaining Myself Through Action

Akaishi: You're currently a third-year university student. What has been the turning point in your life so far?

Kato: I believe joining a volunteer group in my second year of university was my turning point.

Right after enrolling, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would only attend lectures and then go home to stare at my smartphone.

When I was feeling very anxious about those days, a friend invited me to join a volunteer group, which became a turning point.

There was a project to create an information magazine, and I was tasked with conducting interviews on-site.

For the first time, I traveled around with others in a vehicle other than my family's, and during those days with the members who would lift my wheelchair over steps, I began to genuinely feel the kindness of people.

Until then, I always aimed for perfection, but I realized that even if things were spontaneous, taking action could lead to change, which completely shifted my perspective.

Being part of the volunteer group allowed me to regain my true self.

2. What is the Universal Seat Investigation Team "Yuninkle"?

Akaishi: What inspired you to start promoting universal seats?

Kato: It began when I spoke with a mother of a child with severe physical and mental disabilities, who shared her struggles in finding multi-purpose restrooms with universal seats, making outings difficult.

I have personally experienced the difficulty of going to the restroom on my own and the challenges of going out alone.

Knowing there are others with the same issues, I felt compelled to take action and founded the Universal Seat Investigation Team "Yuninkle."

Akaishi: What activities do you plan to undertake?

Kato: Initially, I plan to use Google Maps to compile locations with universal seats and photos of restrooms, focusing on Gifu Prefecture where I live, to encourage the use of existing universal seats.

We are also recruiting members to help with the investigation, and in July this year, we gave a presentation to secure grants for sustainable activities.

Ultimately, we aim for a society where universal seats are standard, and people don't have to search for restrooms.

Yuninkle Official Website: https://yunincl.com/

3. The Future Minori Kato Aims for Beyond Disability Challenges