Senpai,
I’m similarly looking to move to Japan, and getting a visa hasn’t been easy. Just a little about me, I use a motorized wheelchair for mobility and can’t walk/transfer myself.
First, I have applied to JET on multiple occasions. They will never tell you the reason why they denied anyone, so I do not officially know why I haven’t been accepted. However, I’m certain it wasn’t my application paperwork because I did make it to the interview portion prior to being denied (I also felt the interview went very well). After the interview your paperwork is send to Tokyo for review and placement, where you can be denied if you simply can’t be placed somewhere. I also have a Bachelor degree in Education, so I don’t believe my education was a negative deciding factor. Before signing up the first time, I was able to get in contact with a JET coordinator and was informed that JET has hired people with disabilities (this person particularly knew of two who used wheelchairs), and they aren’t supposed to discriminate. During my research of JET and education facilities in Japan, I also discovered that many schools have multiple floors and no elevators, making it much more difficult to place someone like me in a school. For those who don’t know, unlike American schools where students change classes during different periods, teachers in Japan go to student classrooms (meaning a teacher must be able to access each classroom). I have been told by other employers this as well, in fact I was told I would of been a top pick for one position except that half the job is upstairs, so I they reluctantly denied me.
I’m not telling you this to discourage you from signing up with JET, I still think it’s a great program with many benefits, just to inform you that it’s an uphill battle and not to count on it as your sole means to work in Japan. This is also just my perspective from the attempts I’ve made, you may have many other factors that can work for you.
You being in the IT field could be advantageous in finding work in Japan, I’ve seen job postings looking for various IT jobs in Japan, but I do not know what factor your disability may play in such jobs.
Other than that, I can’t say much. I hope to be working and living in Japan soon, even looking into studying abroad in Japan as a sort of foot-in-the-door to employment, but that’s a work in progress. Hopefully some others in the forums can share their experiences.
Anyway, I hope this information helps,
-Justin