Woman with white cane killed by train at Tokyo area station
“A woman apparently carrying a white cane was hit by a train and killed at Tateishi Station on the Keisei Oshiage Line on the morning of Oct. 1.”
Category: Travel
Recent attempt to make escalators in Japan accessible prompts a sense of déjà vu
“Railway companies in Japan run such campaigns almost ever year and it never produces a change in the behavior of commuters since passengers complain that, “changing the convention is a nuisance for people on the go.””
Stand and be delivered: Japan’s evolving escalator etiquette
“According to data released by the Tokyo Fire Department, around 1,400 people per year were taken to hospital from 2012 to 2016, more than 60 percent of whom were aged 65 and over in 2016, due to escalator accidents.”
ANA to start taking online reservations by people with disabilities
“All Nippon Airways Co. will start accepting online ticket reservations from people with disabilities, dropping the requirement that they notify the airline of their assistance needs by phone or email, people close to the matter said.”
Tokyo’s Narita Airport to test Self-driving Wheelchairs
“In a statement from Panasonic, Juichi Hirasawa, senior vice president of ANA, said, “ANA’s partnership with Panasonic will make Narita Airport more welcoming and accessible, both of which are crucial to maintaining the airport’s status as a hub for international travel in the years to come. The robotic wheelchairs are just the latest element in ANA’s multi-faceted approach to improving hospitality in the air and on the ground.” “
Barrier-free tourism gaining traction in aging Japan
“Universal tourism, or tourism accessible to all people regardless of age, nationality, disability and other factors that may discourage leisurely travel, is starting to gain wider recognition in graying Japan.”
Bus driver refuses ride to passenger in wheelchair
“The driver told the company he regrets “making the wrong decision,” according to a Matsudo Shin-Keisei Bus official.”
Escalator safety campaign starts at Tokyo Station
“A campaign to promote the safe use of escalators has begun at Tokyo Station ahead of the year-end and New Year’s travel season.”
Government testing ‘barrier-free’ navigational app
From The Yomiuri Shimbun December 16th 2018 The government has released free of charge a trial app called “Personal navigation,”Continue Reading
Probe launched as electric wheelchair accidents surge at railway crossings in Japan
“Following a surge in the number of fatal accidents involving electric wheelchairs getting stuck at rail crossings, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) has started an investigation.”
Barrier Free Japan 