“”In 2035, one out of three people in Japan will be elderly, aged 65 or older. Barrier-free is an important perspective for urban development in Tokyo, where the number of elderly will increase,” Koike said in an interview with Jiji Press.”
“Hotel operators in Tokyo have been slow to respond to the calls from the Japanese and Tokyo metropolitan governments to step up the introduction of barrier-free guest rooms ahead of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in the Japanese capital, leading to complaints by some wheelchair users that there are not enough rooms they can use. Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, is one exception.”
“With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games fast approaching, Japanese broadcaster NHK has revealed a “four pledge” goal to provide their audience with high-quality services that would help shape the future of the public media of 2020 and beyond.”
“ “We hope to make a success of the Paralympics and leave a legacy by making our society an easier place for anyone to live,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who chairs the conference, said at the opening of the meeting.”
“I was curious as to how a disabled person like myself – my feet are of different sizes (my left is wider and a little shorter than my right) – might give the correct shoes size to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Organizers. There wasn’t, initially at least, a way to communicate the relevant information on the form provided.”
“As a member of the team, Tanigaki will join discussions on improving barrier-free access ahead of the summer games.”
“”We’re nowhere near the number. There’s no denying that we’re behind schedule,” said a representative of a Japanese disability organization.”
