To implement inclusion in business, co-creation with those directly affected is key.

While everyone acknowledges the importance of inclusion, progress often stalls when it comes to actual implementation.

Particularly regarding the question, "How can we incorporate the perspectives of those directly affected into our business and translate that into tangible business outcomes?", the field continues to explore solutions, often lacking clear models.

This series aims to provide insights into these challenges. We will explore practical perspectives, incorporating voices from experts and practitioners actively working on the "implementation" of inclusive design.

The first installment features a roundtable discussion with members from Tsukuba University of Technology and three Dentsu Group companies (Dentsu Inc., DENTSU SOKEN INC., and Mitsue-Links Co., Ltd.), all engaged in joint R&D centered on "inclusive design."

Leveraging their respective strengths, the four parties are tackling business and service development and problem-solving for companies incorporating inclusive thinking. We asked why this project was launched.

The Dual Pillars of "Economic Rationality" and "Co-Creation" Are Key to Implementing Inclusion

Yamada: First, let me introduce myself. I work in Dentsu Inc.'s Sustainability Consulting Office (SC Office). This office supports corporate business growth by addressing various sustainability challenges. I often discussed inclusion implementation with Mr. Sekijima from DENTSU SOKEN INC., who was seconded to our office until last year.

Sekijima: DENTSU SOKEN INC. is a Dentsu Group company with think tank, consulting, and system integration capabilities. Personally, I've been part of the Open Innovation Lab for many years, researching and developing "adaptive learning" – a technology-enhanced educational approach focused on individual optimization. Children each have unique characteristics. Moving forward, learning must leverage each individual's strengths and interests, something traditional, one-size-fits-all classroom instruction cannot fully address. Our research focuses on solving this through IT utilization.

Three years ago, I was seconded to Dentsu Inc.'s SC Division and became involved with DEI. I felt there was a clear connection between understanding individual characteristics and diversity, and the approach enabled by digitalization. This led to discussions with Mr. Yamada about collaborating on initiatives that could impact society. That's why we also reached out to Mitsue-Links Co., Ltd., who possess expertise in accessibility.

Kidatsu: Mitsue-Links Co., Ltd. is a web production company that joined the Dentsu Group in April 2024 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DENTSU SOKEN INC. I'm personally involved in a wide range of website construction and operation, and have worked specifically as an accessibility expert for over 20 years. Accessibility in web production means ensuring site functionality is usable not only by people with disabilities or the elderly, but by all users—in simple terms, it's about "usability for everyone."

Yamada: In addition to these three Dentsu Group companies, we reached out to Professor Tani's Tsukuba University of Technology because we wanted to collaborate from the perspective of co-creation with stakeholders.

Tani: I serve as Vice President at Tsukuba University of Technology. My academic specialty is mechanical engineering, but I handle various responsibilities, including visiting special needs high schools for student recruitment. I'm also part of the Coexistence Society Creation Organization and oversee our collaboration with Dentsu Inc.

To briefly explain the Coexistence Society Creation Organization, it's an organization aiming to create a society where people with and without disabilities live together, achieved through collaboration with external institutions. It's not about having a coexistence society "created for us," but rather about people with disabilities taking the lead in "creating it together." Coinciding with the launch of this organization, we established a new faculty called the Faculty of Coexistence Society Creation starting in 2025.

Yamada: I believe that having people with disabilities take the lead in "co-creating" is also a crucial point for implementing inclusion within companies. That's why I reached out to you, thinking we need the support of Tsukuba University of Technology students.

Let's review the broader social context behind this project. First, the revised Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities came into effect in April 2024. A major point is that it now mandates reasonable accommodations for private companies. This affects not only Dentsu Inc. but also its business partners, leading many organizations to explore approaches to comply with this law.

However, inclusion and co-creation with individuals with disabilities are still perceived by some as themes somewhat distant from economic rationality, and progress has been insufficient. This gave me a strong sense of crisis. Disability is not something special. Data shows that as Japan rapidly ages, the number of people with disabilities will also increase. Inclusion and co-creation with those directly affected are things we, whose livelihood is communication and ideas, should spearhead. I believed this would not only benefit society but also create greater opportunities.

Sekijima: Working alongside individuals with disabilities to approach business, I wanted to create an implementation model where "economic rationality" and "co-creation" coexist, driving each other forward like two wheels. That was the starting point of our discussion with Mr. Yamada.

An unexpected inquiry from Dentsu Inc.

Yamada: Implementing inclusion in business through co-creation with stakeholders, tailored to corporate challenges. As we advanced this discussion, we faced struggles gaining understanding. Addressing the question "Is there economic rationality?" requires explaining the market environment. It's not just about individual cases (n=1); we must grasp quantitative data to demonstrate market value based on sufficient population size and justify the initiative's rationality.

Tani: That's fascinating. We faced exactly the same situation when we went to the Ministry of Education to establish a new faculty. We explained, "We're educating people to build a coexistence society," but they countered with, "How much societal demand is there for that?" – a question difficult to answer quantitatively. For the Ministry, one key point was whether we could justify this as part of a national university's educational content to the public. I remember negotiating while considering that perspective.

Even if the educational content for this faculty is sound, we had to demonstrate concrete pathways for graduates' employment and future contributions. We felt that while laws concerning disability were in place, education to cultivate the personnel to implement them was insufficient, so we were the first to step forward and say, "We're going to do this." It took two or three years of persistently explaining, "There is genuine societal need for this, and high school students themselves are seeking to study in such a faculty."

Yamada: A major point of this initiative is co-creation with those directly involved. That's why we really wanted to work together with students from Tsukuba University of Technology. What was your first impression when you received our contact?

Tani: We were surprised (laughs). It's not unusual for companies to inquire about inclusive societies. But we couldn't imagine what Dentsu Inc. specifically wanted to do, so it really caught us off guard. Usually, we get inquiries from highly public entities like transportation systems. Things like, "We want to work with students to consider how to display information boards at stations or airports." Another type comes from public agencies like the Japan Meteorological Agency: "There have been cases where deaf people couldn't hear tsunami warnings and died because they couldn't evacuate in time. How can we deliver disaster alerts to such individuals?"

Yamada: After that, we had many conversations with professors and conveyed our desire to "create a model for a society and companies where economic rationality and co-creation can coexist." That's how we finally got started. Mr. Kida, I believe Mr. Sekijima invited you to the project. What were your impressions?

Kidachi: I was surprised, or rather, it was unexpected. But as someone deeply involved in accessibility for many years, I felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a positive initiative for society. I was especially hopeful that we could contribute in the area of digital accessibility, which is one of our company's strengths.

Sekijima: I reached out to Mitsue-Links Co., Ltd. because the world of technology is no longer an era where one company can accomplish everything alone. It's becoming the norm for multiple companies, each with different areas of expertise, to collaborate and build something together. That's why I thought it would be great if group companies could connect and create something, and that's why I contacted you.

Incidentally, while the term "co-creation" is used everywhere now, I strongly believe that simply forming a team of people with originality and expertise isn't enough to achieve true co-creation.

Yamada: I agree. Simply gathering and trying to solve problems using the same approaches each person always uses won't work. You absolutely need to develop a new approach specifically "as that team."

Sekijima: Exactly. Unless we collectively set our sights on "what we couldn't do before" and pursue a new approach, I felt from the start that co-creation wouldn't succeed.

Driving the economy through social contribution is the fundamental approach.

Yamada: While many companies are starting initiatives around "co-creation with stakeholders," often they just highlight the fact that stakeholders and the company had a dialogue on a certain topic and leave it at that. I think what's truly required in our work is to properly collaborate and implement solutions that actually become viable business. Do most companies consulting with Professor Tani bring specific business challenges?

Tani: There are two streams. One, as mentioned earlier, involves consultations on "how to implement solutions when facing challenges like invisibility or inaudibility." The other is the "social contribution" approach. This is driven not by profit, but by the desire to "do good for society." I believe both are meaningful. I want to encourage diverse dialogues around each company's challenges and foster student growth through these interactions.

Yamada: Both are indeed important. What I'm thinking is that having a foundation where the economy keeps circulating is probably essential for social contribution to be sustainable in the long run.

Kitatsu: Personally, I have some reservations about discussing social contribution as something completely separate from core business. There's a saying from the Omi merchants: "beneficial for all three parties." Meaning, "beneficial for the seller, beneficial for the buyer, beneficial for society" – essentially, generating profit through contributing to society as a whole. I've always believed that's how it should be.

This is especially true in the web world. In an era where nearly 70% of the global population uses the internet, the reality is that diverse people access the web in diverse ways. Given this, designing for "universal usability" should become the norm. Since web production is my core business, I pursue such efforts. But I believe "universal usability" will become standard not just in digital, but across all industries and sectors.

Yamada: So, "usable by everyone" holds meaning both as a business strategy and as a form of social contribution. Yet, these aspects tend to be discussed separately.

Kidatsu: Yes. That's why, when I consult on accessibility, I explain it using the terms "defense" and "offense." "Defense" is precisely about legal compliance. Accessibility is strongly required not only by Japanese law but also by laws overseas. As Japanese companies increasingly globalize, it's becoming an environment where tackling this is simply a given.

On the other hand, "offense" is about the profit potential. If you improve accessibility and increase your user base, your final conversion numbers will naturally grow too. I always explain it using that simple logic. The current challenge, though, is that we can't yet prove exactly how much profit it generates with concrete numbers.

Yamada: So there's a lack of visible data, right? Mr. Sekijima also struggled with internal negotiations.

Sekijima: This might be a slight digression, but unless it becomes "personal," it's hard to get people to understand. I think many issues directly relate to inclusion, like challenges within one's own family. But these remain just "that person's problem," closed off. Even if you opened the lid and found many people struggling within the company, if the decision-makers lack personal experience, it stalls.

As population decline and diversification advance, we've reached a point where both society and companies must leap over the point where they stall. Ideally, large companies take the lead, mobilizing people and money to create impactful change. We need to build successful implementation cases and use them as a starting point to spread this throughout society.

Personally, through my exposure to technology, I've encountered things where I think, "Using this technology could make so many people happy." But within companies, when they consider it within their own business domain or scale, the judgment often becomes, "Maybe we don't need to do this."

Yamada: That's precisely why we need a data infrastructure or platform capable of handling a certain scale. When discussing its development with Dentsu Inc. about potential investment, simply asking for money proved difficult. But when I framed it as, "We'll accumulate implementation experience with various clients and ultimately identify the necessary framework," the conversation started moving forward. The approach of saying, "Beyond each individual project lies the discussion of the ultimate system," helped build consensus – that was a valuable lesson.

Sekijima: While visiting dozens of clients seeking partners, we explained internally: "We'll build several successful cases, use them as a starting point to expand, ultimately building a single platform." That's how we explained it internally.

Toward a society where both people with disabilities and those without can live more easily through inclusion

Yamada: What are your thoughts, students, on co-creation with companies like this and on an inclusive society?

Tani: Education for people with disabilities often focused on "learning a trade" – like acupuncture for the visually impaired, or dental technology/crafts for the hearing impaired. This meant educational designs didn't prioritize broad liberal arts education or developing specialized expertise through university.

What we really want is for it to become a natural environment where it's understood that it's not just about "skills for a trade" – that there can be many different paths. I hope students will start to feel that they can use the knowledge and communication skills they gain to pursue careers that change the world.

Yamada: When we talk about co-creation with people with disabilities, what kind of involvement do you envision students having with companies, Professor Tani?

Tani: When it comes to co-creation, I believe it's crucial for those involved to first remove barriers themselves. When considering disability, there are two models: the medical model and the social model. The medical model views physical hearing loss as a medical issue. The social model, however, posits that restrictions on employment or licenses for deaf individuals are imposed by society. The problem doesn't lie with the disabled person; society should be the one lowering those barriers. The social model perspective has become quite widespread now, hasn't it?

Yamada: I believe there are many areas where we at the Dentsu Group should take responsibility. To remove barriers from society, we first need points of contact with the people directly affected, right?

Kidachi: Specifically regarding the web, following certain guidelines can make websites and digital content somewhat more accessible for people with disabilities. However, ultimately, there are things we can't fully understand until people with disabilities actually use them.

Sekijima: Disabilities are incredibly diverse, so covering everything is difficult. One idea I have is that instead of companies creating different things for each user, creating a "base something" that users can customize themselves might lead to a form that's easy to use for various people with disabilities.

Yamada: I see. Either way, establishing direct contact with the individuals themselves is the first step.

Sekijima: I once had a meal with someone with a disability, and on the train home, I ended up sitting next to someone who was hard of hearing. I wondered how we'd manage, but we could converse normally. It was thanks to their effort and tools that help read lip movements. Plus, when they didn't understand, they'd just say so, which made communication possible. Having that experience means that when I meet others, I can naturally ask, "How should we interact?" So, having actual contact really is crucial.

This time, we've brought in DENTSU SOKEN INC.'s UX Design Center. They're the department that collaborates across various divisions to realize user-centric UI and UX. Having them join the project brings fresh perspectives and ways of thinking, which I believe will shift the entire team's mindset. Also, learning about initiatives from other companies or departments changes our viewpoint, doesn't it?

Yamada: On top of that, we want to spread the idea that inclusion isn't just about helping the disadvantaged; it's a theme that also commits to corporate growth.

Tani: When people with disabilities can live richly, it naturally means an environment where people without disabilities can also live richly. Besides, all of us age – eventually, we lose our sight and hearing. While those born with disabilities may be trained to cope, when vision or hearing is lost due to aging, it leads to profound loneliness. Ultimately, we aim to prevent that loneliness, to ensure no one is left behind.

I can hear, but when I first came to this university, I observed a class designed for the hearing impaired. Even for someone like me who doesn't use sign language, it was incredibly easy to follow. First, the instructor writes clearly on the board—never sloppily. Then, turning to face the class, they speak while using sign language. That class was so well-structured that even someone who can hear would want to review their notes afterward. That's precisely the ideal approach we should strive for.

Sekijima: When I think about "what makes things easier for everyone," I believe we can apply DX (Digital Transformation) across various aspects of today's society. For example, at government offices, people often have to fill out forms by hand, which is very difficult for the elderly. If they only had to fill out one form initially, and then everything was digitally scanned and processed afterward, they wouldn't have to fill out multiple similar forms every time they visited. This would be incredibly helpful for people with hearing or visual impairments, and for everyone else too.

Kidatsu: In the web world, SEO (search engine optimization) has always been highly valued. What I've consistently emphasized is this: "Making things easier for people with disabilities also improves your search engine optimization." Search engines don't "see" information with eyes; they mechanically process data on websites through software to extract meaning. Technically, this is extremely similar to how screen readers for visually impaired users effectively interpret information.

Yamada: Rather than just helping the disadvantaged, we aim to co-create solutions that benefit "everyone" together with the stakeholders themselves, creating a sustainable business model. We want to explore this model with our clients and, based on the data gathered, ultimately aim to build a platform that can measure the economic value of inclusion.

Starting next time, we'll also introduce actual cases we're working on with clients. Thank you all for today!

・dentsu Japan's DEI site is here
https://www.japan.dentsu.com/jp/deandi/