Association Overview

A Message from the President

In April 2016, a new law was introduced in Japan which aims to create a society where people with disabilities have equal opportunities in every part of their life. Therefore we can expect a greater demand for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

With Japan being one of the super-aging countries, the need for wheelchair-accessible vehicles has been increasing year on year. Evidence of this has also been seen through the number of attendees at our seminars for the ‘Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Specialist’ Certificate. This certification was established in 2009 as an accredited qualification by the JWVA (Japan Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Association), and has since seen more than 8,000 people accredited .

Attendees have come from various car-related industries such as car manufacturers, car dealers, leasing companies, insurance companies, driving schools and so on.

As Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are used to support drivers or passengers with physical disabilities, our hope is that everyone who sells these vehicles has specialised knowledge on how to help people choose the right vehicle, provide after sale service, how to use and maintain a hoist or ramp, and even what government tax benefits are available.

The reality, however, is that some ‘Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Specialist’ qualification holders haven’t had the opportunity for much practical experience and tend to lose some of their knowledge. Therefore, we have established the ‘Japan Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Specialist Association’ (JWVSA) which aims to create industry standards and regularly maintain and update our specialists’ knowledge.

Through educating our specialists, we will do our best to contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

We appreciate your support.

Mitsuki Ueda
Chairperson of Japan Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Specialist Association

Our Mission

To contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of wheelchair-accessible vehicles through educating and supporting Wheelchair-accessible Vehicle Specialists.

Our Purpose

To share information about feedback from users with businesses who deal with wheelchair-accessible vehicles and to help wheelchair-accessible vehicle specialists gain more knowledge to a higher level.

Association Structure