Research and Training Center on Independent Living

International Work: Visiting Scholars and Disability Leaders

Scholar from Japan Visits RTC/IL

Toshiyuki Chiba, a Visiting International Scholar from Tokyo, Japan, completed a one-year training at the University of Kansas in January 2009.

While in the U.S., Chiba conducted research in the area of spinal cord injury (SCI), employment, and community participation barriers and facilitators.

He completed a quantitative and qualitative study on the last topic, interviewing individuals with SCI across the country. He submitted a report on his work at KU to the Duskin Foundation in Osaka, Japan, which sponsored his visit to the U.S., and plans to publish separate papers on his findings in Japan and the U.S.

Chiba is now a graduate student at Hitotsubashi University, pursuing a master's degree in Sociology with an emphasis on employment for people with spinal cord injuries. He has a bachelor's degree in Economics from Chuo University in Tokyo.