The volume is intended to give readers a glimpse of the day-to-day life of disabled people in Japan. Eight brief papers present life experiences of a mentally retarded preschooler, severely disabled children, a child with muscular dystrophy, a young girl with polio living in the community, visually disabled and recovering mentally ill people receiving vocational training, a hearing impaired worker in a subway arcade shop, and a Down's syndrome man working in a laundry. The second part of the booklet describes services and programs (including education, income security, and employment) widely used by disabled persons in the community. A final section touches on such issues as legislation, participation of disabled people in policy development, and professional training. (CL)