FY2026 MHLW Awardees for Exemplary Disability Employment
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare decided the FY2026 recipients of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare's Awards for Outstanding Establishments and Others Employing Persons with Disabilities. The recipients of this year's Minister's Awards for Good Examples of Workplace Improvements for Disability Employment and for the Painting and Photography Contest held during Disability Employment Support Month, organized by the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers, were also decided. The Minister's Award ceremony will be held in Tokyo on September 15, 2026.
Key points
- The FY2026 recipients of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare's Awards for Outstanding Establishments and Others Employing Persons with Disabilities have been decided.
- This year's recipients of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare's Awards for Good Examples of Workplace Improvements for Disability Employment and for the Painting and Photography Contest have also been decided.
- The National Awards Ceremony for Outstanding Establishments and Others Employing Persons with Disabilities will be held on September 15, 2026.
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare holds the awards every year to coincide with Disability Employment Support Month in September, encouraging persons with disabilities to pursue vocational independence and deepening employers' interest in and understanding of disability employment.
As part of its awareness-raising activities, the organization also recognizes good examples of workplace improvements and winners of the Painting and Photography Contest, presenting the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare's Award to particularly outstanding examples and works.
Impact
The awards aim to encourage persons with disabilities to pursue vocational independence and further deepen employers' interest in and understanding of disability employment.
The organization's awards are presented as part of the awareness-raising activities of Disability Employment Support Month.
Details
Eligible recipients are establishments that actively employ persons with disabilities; organizations or individuals that have contributed to promoting the employment of persons with disabilities and stabilizing their employment; and persons with disabilities who have achieved exemplary performance as working professionals. The awards cover 4 outstanding establishments employing persons with disabilities, 1 organization or individual, and 10 outstanding working persons with disabilities.
The Good Examples of Workplace Improvements for Disability Employment program will recognize 1 outstanding example. The Painting and Photography Contest held during Disability Employment Support Month will recognize 1 painting from each division for elementary school students, junior high school students, and high school students and the general public, as well as 1 photograph.
The awards ceremony will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at Shinagawa The Grand Hall in Minato City, Tokyo. Following the organizer's remarks and presentation of certificates, a talk session will be held on the theme "Disability Employment Helps Companies Grow," using the recipients' initiatives as a starting point.