“Access is not just a moment where you solve things,” Mr. Bookman added. With the world’s oldest population, Japan will need to accommodate an increasing number of residents with the kinds of measures that people with various disabilities rely on to get around every day. Advocates said the Paralympics offered an opportunity — some would say missed — to hear from a greater range of people on how to improve accessibility. Keisuke Seto, a spokesman for Toyota Japan Taxi, acknowledged some of the complaints but said that “we have reformed the process of taking out the ramp to make it easier for drivers,” reducing it from a 63-step to a 24-step process. Aside from infrastructure, activists said the Paralympics could motivate people with disabilities who may feel limited in what they can do.

Source: International New York Times September 03, 2021 07:52 UTC