Ginji Hoshino, an 18-year-old from Fujisawa City, has triumphed over significant challenges to graduate from Shuei High School, a private correspondence school located in Yokohama City’s Izumi Ward, this March. His story is emblematic of the importance of inclusive education, especially as he battles Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, a rare disease resulting in severe visual impairment.
Hoshino’s battle with visual impairment began when he noticed troubling changes to his right eye just before his high school entrance exams in January 2022. Initially prepared to attend regular high school, he soon found himself grappling with the reality of also losing sight from his left eye shortly after joining. It was then he described feeling as if he were “in thick fog,” leading to enormous difficulty reading standard-sized letters and even recognizing people's faces.
Hoshino enrolled at a full-time high school in Tokyo; unfortunately, it wasn’t equipped to handle his needs, stirring feelings of isolation. "It felt like the atmosphere suggested, 'Of course, you should attend a blind school,'" he recalls. Just two weeks later, at the end of June 2023, he pivoted and decided to transfer to Shuei High School, drawn by their willingness to work together with him for mutually beneficial learning.
Upon joining Shuei High, Hoshino found himself on the cutting edge of innovative educational methods. His new life began with adaptations, such as using information communication technology to convert course materials to audio formats. Remarkably, he took his tests orally in a separate room, tackling essay assignments by typing and confirming the spelling of words through auditory feedback. Hoshino was also thrilled to see activities adapted to be inclusive, such as incorporating goalball, a Paralympic sport, during physical education classes. His classmates would wear eye masks to experience the activity alongside him, creating shared experiences.
The month of July marked the start of this new chapter not only at school but also in his personal life. Hoshino practiced his passion for music, inspired by iconic artist Yutaka Ozaki, composing songs on guitar, and rekindling friendships from his middle school years.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, Hoshino described the experience as akin to being thrown "into another world". This abrupt transition affected his emotional stability, making the navigation of separate educational pathways harsher. He developed a nuanced appreciation for the necessity of inclusive education, realizing the importance of integrating diverse learners from early childhood. He is committed to advocating for environments where children with disabilities are familiar from the beginning, believing this will cultivate mutual recognition and empathy.
Hoshino’s commitment extends beyond personal experience to his academic aspirations. Starting spring 2025, he will pursue research focused on inclusive education within the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University, located back in Fujisawa. His educational and advocacy zeal is palpable, influenced greatly by comprehensive studies, including examining Italy as one of the harbingers of inclusive educational models.
Hoshino remarked, “If children grow up sharing spaces with peers who have disabilities, it will become our natural reality to understand each other deeply.” This mission motivates his scholarly pursuits as he seeks to develop frameworks within which inclusive services become operationally feasible and beneficial.
His tenure at Shuei High School is not merely about personal achievement but also creating ripples of change for the future, showcasing the significance of inclusive education. Hoshino's remarkable story touches on universally relevant themes as society grapples with questions about the inclusivity and accessibility of education.