Provision of public funding for wheelchairs and postural support devices in Japan

[Purpose] For people with disabilities, public funding is the principal means by which assistive devices, such as wheelchairs and seating equipment, may be acquired. In the future, to make the system easier for beneficiaries, it is necessary to determine the actual utilization level in the current system. In this study, using statistical data provided by the Japanese government, we investigated the level of public expenditure on wheelchairs and postural support devices. [Methods] The number of devices (Wheelchairs, Powered Wheelchairs, Postural Support Devices, and Seating Furniture) provided each year from 1997 to 2016 was extracted and the annual trends were analyzed. [Results] In the last 20 years, the number of grants provided for wheelchairs has decreased, while the number of grants provided for seating equipment has increased. These changes may be due to the enactment of new legislation. [Conclusion] Based on the anticipated service life of various types of equipment, it is believed that approximately 970,000 assistive devices in the four categories are provided with public funding alone. As the number of people with disabilities increases, the use and importance of assistive devices is also expected to increase.