A deaf woman in her 60s, who had her ability to use sign language impaired after being injured in a traffic accident, successfully sued the man who caused the crash, in the first case in Japan that equally recognized the standing of sign language and speech.

During the hearing, the judge ruled that "sign language is a means of mutual comprehension, comparable to speaking for a non-handicapped individual." After recognizing that an inability to make signs is comparable to a speech impediment, he ruled in favor of plaintiff, awarding 12.2 million yen in damages.