Ministry to urge improvement of airport accessibility ahead of Games
“The tourism ministry will step up efforts to make the nation’s airports more accessible for disabled people ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it has been learned.”
Category: Travel
Japan to increase number of wheelchair-friendly hotel rooms
“Under the new rules, hotels with 201 to 300 rooms, for example, would have to have three or more rooms accessible to wheelchair users.”
Board of education apologizes to deaf group refused lodging
“The Shizuoka association of the deaf has received an apology from the board of education of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, after a lodging facility owned by the education board refused in January a request to accommodate a group of about 100 hearing-impaired persons on the grounds that their safety could not be guaranteed…”
New rules to increase barrier free lodging to be introduced
“The ordinance sets quantitative criteria that must be met for rooms at hotels and inns to be labeled barrier-free. For example, doors to a room, toilet or bathroom must be “at least 80 centimeters wide and have no steps.””
Mayor silent on Nagoya Castle’s accessibility due to lack of “concrete consultation”
“Since I have not yet received concrete consultation (such as application from the city), I will refrain from replying as to whether or not”.
Talks with Barrier Free groups over Nagoya castle reconstruction continue
“Mayor Takashi Kawamura, aiming for restoration faithful to historical facts, reaffirmed the lack of elevators, whereas people with disabilities reported that “There is no concrete alternative proposal and I can not convince them, I can not accept them.”
Nagoya castle to have no elevator for the disabled after restoration to keep ‘fidelity to history’
“The current tower has elevators, and Mayor Takashi Kawamura’s fidelity to history has triggered a backlash from the public, with citizens’ groups saying the project goes against building a barrier-free society.
The city has said it plans to introduce an alternative to elevators using “new technologies” but hasn’t stated what this means.”
Aichi Prefecture’s Governor challenged by disability rights groups over Nagoya Castle’s accessibility
“At a press conference on 14th a disability group said that the “The basic human rights of persons with disabilities must be respected, and we strongly urge you to exchange ideas with people and find a better solution” and , “urged” the city to reconsider.”
Disability groups urge Aichi Governor to act on a possible legal violation regarding Nagoya castle’s accessibility
“The “Aichi Disability Forum” forum pointed out that not installing an elevator in the new castle tower violates the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Law for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. Such a policy falls under “unfair discriminatory treatment” ”
NPO ‘Disabled People International’ protests proposed renovations to Nagoya castle’s inaccessibility
“We are excluding people with disabilities under the name of being faithful to historical facts, it is a discriminatory act that violates the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”
Barrier Free Japan 