Mirairo Inc. was established in 2010. The founder, Toshiya Kakiuchi, was born with fragile bones and has used a wheelchair since childhood. This experience provided him with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and instilled in him a keen awareness of the importance of universal design. Kakiuchi’s vision is to eliminate various barriers that people with disabilities encounter and to realise a society where everyone can live comfortably. This vision forms the core of the company’s philosophy and plays a central role in all its activities.
Mirairo’s Work
Mirairo’s mission is to transform diversity—across nationality, gender, age, physical characteristics, and abilities—into a source of strength, creating new value in society. They specialise in consulting services aimed at removing barriers in various areas, such as architecture, products, services, and communications.
Mirairo consider there to be three primary barriers in society: environment, awareness, and information. They work with a variety of businesses to eliminate these barriers. For environmental barriers, they design and supervise the development of universally accessible facilities and products. In addressing awareness barriers, they raise awareness and educate individuals on interacting and communicating with people with disabilities and the elderly, notably through the Universal Manners Test. Lastly, they tackle informational barriers by enhancing communication methods for d/Deaf people, people who are hard of hearing, and people with speech impairments, through the development of Mirairo ID, a digital disability certificate that simplifies access to services.
Mirairo offer a range of services including:
- Universal Design Consulting: They provide concrete advice and support to help organisations incorporate the principles of universal design, promoting the creation of environments that everyone can comfortably use.
- Training Programs for Individuals with Disabilities: They conduct training and workshops to help companies better understand and support individuals with disabilities, aiming to raise employee awareness and facilitate smoother communication.
- Barrier-Free Product Development: By incorporating the perspectives of individuals with disabilities from the design phase, they create products that are user-friendly for everyone, enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities.
- Development and Operation of Mirairo ID: They developed the Mirairo ID, a smartphone application that allows users to present their disability certificate digitally. This simplifies the verification process for businesses and reduces the burden on users, providing a more convenient and inclusive experience.
Importance of Addressing Disability Exclusion
Mirairo views disability not merely as a barrier but as an element that can generate value within society. This mindset is clearly reflected in their philosophy of “Transforming Barriers into Value”. They strive not to overcome disabilities or trauma, but to harness them, designing a future where everyone can express their unique colours. This approach represents a crucial step in enhancing inclusivity across society and ending the exclusion of individuals with disabilities.
They believe that creating an environment where people with disabilities can fully utilise their abilities is essential for societal development. By enabling individuals with disabilities to participate in and contribute to society, diversity emerges, leading to a richer community. Based on this philosophy, they continue to expand their operations and drive towards an end to disability exclusion.
Expert-Led Design
Kakiuchi’s own experience as an individual with a disability allows him to promote universal design from the perspective of those directly affected. This unique viewpoint becomes a key factor that fosters trust with clients, distinguishing Mirairo from other companies. They are committed to listening to the voices of those directly impacted and providing practical solutions.
Additionally, their team comprises experts from diverse backgrounds, enabling a multifaceted approach. They not only possess specialised knowledge in universal design but also integrate project management, communication skills, and sociological perspectives to deliver effective solutions for their clients.
Mirairo’s work in action
Mirairo collaborates with clients to achieve barrier-free access in public facilities. These projects first involve thorough consultations with users to gather feedback and suggest concrete improvements. Mirairo’s team then meticulously observe the conditions on-site and implemented practical solutions based on their expertise. As a result, their clients are able to improve their facilities, and become more accessible to a larger audience.
These projects serve as great examples that demonstrate Mirairo’s ability to provide value in real-world scenarios and demonstrates the effectiveness of their approach. Through these experiences, we aim to enhance awareness of the importance of universal design among a broader audience, contributing to more inclusion in society.
Mirairo enables equitable access to art
Mirairo supported the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in its mission to be a “Gateway to Art” by creating a Barrier-Free Guide designed to ensure all visitors can comfortably enjoy the museum. The guide includes an easy-to-understand map that simplifies the museum’s complex layout, helping visitors navigate the building and reduce stress. Additionally, it provides detailed information about the 12 wheelchair-accessible restrooms, ensuring that visitors can easily find the facilities best suited to their needs. Through this initiative, Mirairo has contributed to making the museum a more inclusive space for everyone to appreciate both its art and architecture.
Simplifying the lives of disabled people with Mirairo ID
The digital disability certificate “Mirairo ID”, developed and operated in house, plays a crucial role as a connection point between individuals with disabilities and businesses. The app is designed to ensure that people with disabilities can easily receive the support they need, particularly when utilising public spaces and services.
Mirairo ID was first introduced to six partner companies. Since then, Mirairo have consistently communicated the importance of the app, and spread the message that the initiative aims to enable individuals with disabilities to go out and participate in society freely. Mirairo ID can also reduce the challenges faced by service providers’ staff, and has become invaluable across Japan, steadily increasing both its users and partner companies.
As a result of Mirairo’s efforts, the number of participating businesses has now grown to over 4,000. Notably, Mirairo ID has also been adopted by companies that previously did not have discount systems for individuals with disabilities. This outcome has surpassed their initial expectations, leading to new developments different from what they ever initially envisioned.
Mirairo ID not only supports the lives of individuals with disabilities but is also becoming a beneficial tool for businesses. They plan to continue to enhance the functions of Mirairo ID and collaborate with more companies and local governments to strive towards the realisation of an inclusive society.
