Designing Lifestyle: Self-help devices, prosthetics, and prosthetics and their users in Leprosy sanatorium

Rehabilitation is not the only rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is that those who cannot walk walk, those who do not have a broom have a broom, and those who cannot have a fork have a fork. Independence must mean that it takes.

Patients and Former leprosy patients at the Leprosy sanatorium have used various tools to live in their own way, despite their inconvenience in activities of daily living due to neuropathy.
In the past, under the Hansen's Disease isolation policy, the sanatorium budget was not sufficient and much labor was carried out by patients. The ancient tin prosthesis and plane with handles tell the history of the hardships of residents who have been responsible for Patient procedures and work in daily life while suffering from paralysis of sensory nerves and motor nerves.
After the arrival of occupational therapists and prosthetics and orthotists since the latter half of the 1950s, we pursued how to realize the life that the user wants to achieve while protecting the limbs that have lost perception and cannot move as expected. Has been done. The individuality of the tools has been sharpened according to the spread of the user's wishes, such as artificial legs made of various materials, spoons with colorful self-help tools, and self-help tools related to creating a purpose of life such as ceramic art and music activities. In this way, many tools suitable for designing each person's life were made and shaped the life of the user.
From the appearance of people who use these tools, we can see the will to not deprive them of the small freedoms around them, even if they live in a limited space. In this exhibition, we will tell you about its appearance through a number of self-help tools, artificial limbs, and prosthetic devices, as well as images, photographs, and stories of their users. We hope that you will deepen your understanding of the Issues related to leprosy and increase your interest in the steps that people living with disabilities have pursued their potential.

Outline of the event※Finished.

[Date]
March 12th (Sat) to August 31st (Wed) 2022
Please check the latest information before visiting. For more information, please click here

<Request> During the event, on Sunday, July 31st and Saturday, August 6th, we will be restricting viewing due to the live broadcast of the lecture "How to Design Your Life - People who give shape to dreams". We sincerely apologize to those attending on those days, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

【venue】
The National Hansen's Disease Museum Special Exhibition Room

【closing day】
Mondays and the day after national holidays (open if Monday is a national holiday)

Admission is free

*This may be subject to change depending on the infection status of the new coronavirus, etc.

event information※Finished.

Talk session "Design of life" (online)

We will tell you about various episodes that left an impression in the process of exhibition production in a dialogue format by two curators in charge. It is a story about the thoughts of each user and creator.

[Date and Time]
Friday, June 17, 2022 7:00pm to 8:30pm

【Teacher】
Business Department, Business Division Naoko Nishiura and Gen Yoshikuni

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 100 people, advance registration required, free to participate

[Applications now open]
May 1, 2022 (Saturday)
*Click here for the event report.

Let's make a workshop "tin prosthesis" (face-to-face)

A tin prosthesis that was once invented, manufactured and used by patients. By moving your hands and actually making them with familiar materials, you will deepen your understanding of the ingenuity contained in the tools.
Lecturer: Curator in charge

[Date and Time]
Saturday, July 30, 2022 and Sunday, August 14, 2022
Each session from 10:00 to 11:30

【venue】
1st floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum

[Capacity]
Participation is free for the first 5 groups to register for each session, with a maximum of 3 people per group.

【subject】
Elementary school and above

[Applications now open]
Friday, July 1, 2022

*This is a craft that requires the use of a cutter.
Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
*For more details, click here

Gallery talk (face-to-face)

The curator in charge will guide you through the exhibition while touching the background of each tool.

[Date and Time]
Wednesday, March 30, Saturday, April 23, Sunday, May 1, Tuesday, May 3, Thursday, May 5, Saturday, June 4, Saturday, July 23, Sunday, August 28, 2022
Each session is from 13:00 to 13:45

【venue】
The National Hansen's Disease Museum Exhibition Room, 2nd Floor

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 10 people on the day of each session, no prior registration required

Gallery Talk (online)

From the exhibition room, the curator in charge will guide you through the exhibition online.

[Date and time]
Saturday, May 28, Sunday, June 12, Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Each session is from 13:00 to 13:45

[Capacity]
50 people per session, advance registration required, free participation

[Applications now open]
May 1, 2022 (Sun)
*For more details, click here

Lecture "Until you can design your life-people who make their wishes-" (online)

We will invite a prosthetic limb orthotist from the National Sanatorium Tama Zenshoen Zenseien to hear about his experiences and thoughts as a maker of prosthetic legs and prosthetics.

[Date/Time and Lecturer]
Each session from 13:30 to 15:00
Sunday, July 31, 2022: Taiyo Kanno (prosthetics and orthotics technician Tama Zenshoen)
Saturday, August 6, 2022: Nao Goto (prosthetics and orthotics technician Tama Zenshoen)

[Distribution method]
Zoom Webinar

【cooperation】
National Sanatorium Tama Zenshoen

[Applications now open]
Friday, July 1, 2022
*For more details, click here

An archive of the lecture will be available to watch on YouTube.
​Click here for Taiyo Kanno's lecture on Sunday, July 31, 2022
​Click here for Naoo Goto's lecture on Saturday, August 6, 2022

<Contact Information>
The National Hansen's Disease Museum
〒189-0002
4-1-13, Aoba-cho, Higashimurayama-shi, Tokyo
TEL: 042-396-2909 FAX: 042-396-2981
Email: pr@nhdm.jp

A mini video was posted on YouTube in connection with the special exhibition "Design of Life".
You can watch the video here.

[Special exhibition "Design of life" mini introduction]
About bells as self-help tools
The first mini-video that introduces the exhibition materials, etc., in conjunction with the The National Hansen's Disease Museum special exhibition "Design of Life: Self-help tools, artificial limbs, prosthetics and their users at the Leprosy sanatorium".
This is a video about the "bell as a self-help tool" that was often used when a person with sensory impairment as a symptom / sequela of Hansen's Disease lost his or her eyesight.

Commentary: The National Hansen's Disease Museum Yoshikunimoto

Click here to download the flyer (PDF: 756 KB)
Click here to download the event flyer (PDF: 1,380 KB)