Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� September, 2002

Commendations for Contributors to the Promotion of Barrier-free Environments Thursday, September 26, 2002 A ceremony honoring contributors to the promotion of barrier-free environments was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in attendance. This ceremony is to honor organizations which have made outstanding achievements and contributions from the viewpoint of effectively and comprehensively promoting barrier-free environments throughout society, in both soft and hard aspects, so that all persons, including the elderly and disabled, can lead a safe and pleasant social life. This year marks the first such ceremony. An enterprise from Niigata Prefecture received the Prime Minister's commendation for giving meticulous consideration in design to eliminating split-level flooring throughout facilities and installing informational equipment such as braille, chimes, and lights for the visually and hearing impaired, aiming for a universal design from the planning and design phase for accommodation facilities. In addition, one other group received the Prime Minister's commendation and nine groups received the Chief Cabinet Secretary's commendation.