Eiko Higuchi took a job in an audio factory employing people with disabilities after an accident left her needing to use a wheelchair. Thirty-five years later, she’s become a master craftswoman, making microphones for recording industry stars like Dr. Dre.
Higuchi works for a Sony Group subsidiary, in a plant designed to give people with disabilities a fair chance in the workplace. It’s the passion project of co-founder Masaru Ibuka, who created the unit Sony Taiyo to disprove widespread prejudice about disabled people in Japan.
To accommodate workers with different physical challenges, Sony developed a unique approach to the factory floor. Instead of conveyor-belt systems and one-size-fits-all work benches, the company turned to what it calls cellular manufacturing. With many of the products made at Taiyo, it entrusts the entire process to a single person who handles production from raw parts to packaging at a customized work station with all tools within easy reach.