(しょうがいしゃ)

しょうがいしゃ
noun
person with a disability; disabled person
1. person with a disability; disabled person
A person who has a physical, intellectual, or mental disability.
障害者(しょうがいしゃ)(よう)駐車場(ちゅうしゃじょう)
A parking space for people with disabilities.
障害者(しょうがいしゃ)雇用(こよう)促進(そくしん)する法律(ほうりつ)がある。
There are laws that promote the employment of people with disabilities.
この施設(しせつ)障害者(しょうがいしゃ)安心(あんしん)して利用(りよう)できるように設計(せっけい)されている。
This facility is designed so that people with disabilities can use it with peace of mind.

The standard legal and administrative term for a person with a disability in Japan. Used in official documents, laws, and public signage. The word covers 身体(しんたい)障害者(しょうがいしゃ) (physical disability), 知的(ちてき)障害者(しょうがいしゃ) (intellectual disability), and 精神(せいしん)障害者(しょうがいしゃ) (mental disability).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 障害者(しょうがいしゃ)手帳(てちょう): disability certificate
  • 障害者(しょうがいしゃ)雇用(こよう): employment of people with disabilities
  • 障害者(しょうがいしゃ)支援(しえん): disability support
  • 障害者(しょうがいしゃ)差別(さべつ): discrimination against people with disabilities
  • 重度(じゅうど)障害者(しょうがいしゃ): person with a severe disability

ORTHOGRAPHY NOTE:
Some organizations and local governments write the word as (しょう)がい(しゃ), replacing the kanji (がい) (harm) with hiragana to avoid the negative connotation of the character. The alternate kanji (がい) is also occasionally used.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 障害(しょうがい)()(ひと): person who has a disability — a longer, sometimes preferred phrasing
  • 健常者(けんじょうしゃ): able-bodied person — the counterpart term