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  • I'm Yuriko Oda and my disease is distal myopathy

  • My name is Josh Grisdale and I'm from Canada,

  • near Toronto originally, and I've lived in Japan for about eight years now

  • The door on the opposite side you entered will open

  • What should I buy?

  • The door will close

  • Sorry, excuse me

  • If you do any research on Japan,

  • you know that they have an excellent transportation system

  • If you've traveled in it, you may have also noticed

  • they have many features to accommodate people with physical disabilities

  • So here's the lowdown on how it works

  • It's half price for wheelchair users, half

  • There are some stations now that have a raised area for people in wheelchairs

  • so that they can drive right on the train themselves

  • But of course, you know, if the destination they are going to doesn't have

  • that kind of adaptation then it's difficult to use

  • So while there are some lines that have that, most of the lines,

  • they just have somebody who is a staff member who will help you get on the train

  • So when you buy you're ticket you go to the staff member waiting at the ticket

  • gate and you tell them where it is you would like to go

  • Can I get a slope please? I'm going to station...

  • I already have a stamp

  • A slope, right. Please go upstairs and is the last car OK?

  • Ok, I see

  • Yuriko was able to ask for a slope and quickly go on her way with her husband

  • But some stations have different procedures, as explained by Josh

  • They'll usually ask you to wait a minute by the area

  • And then the other staff member will come

  • Thank you for waiting, you're going to Shinbashi station, right?

  • Please come this way

  • And they'll have a portable ramp with them

  • And they'll take you to the place in the train, maybe where there is an accessible

  • area to sit in a wheelchair

  • And they'll put the ramp out and help you get on the train

  • Travelling through the train is not something Yuriko usually does

  • Could you open the door?

  • Oh, yes!

  • But, she wanted to show the special wheelchair section in the train, so off we went

  • Normally, I use here, special space for wheelchair users

  • It's very good, practical, because it's so dangerous, I hit the people

  • Ok, sorry

  • Pardon me

  • And then when you get to your destination or maybe a transfer point

  • there'll be somebody waiting there for you

  • They know exactly what train you are on, where you are

  • And they'll put a ramp down for you and they'll help you either get out

  • the station or get on to your next train

  • So it's a great system I think

  • Thanks

  • Thank you very much

  • Road condition is fabulous in Japan

  • But, in other countries, so bumpy

  • Bumpy, yeah.

  • So buses are also quite accessible

  • They have these buses called non-step

  • But what happens is you just sort of go to the bus loading area

  • And you sort of indicate to the driver that you'd like to get on

  • And then the driver will sort of try to maneuver the bus into a good position

  • And then he'll get out and unlock a ramp from a special door inside the bus

  • And lay the ramp down for you to get on

  • Inside the bus there's two seats that fold up to make way for people with wheelchairs

  • And they can sit in that area

  • And then you just tell the bus driver where it is you'd like to get off

  • And then he'll stop again for you and let you out there

  • Now, it's not as good as the train and in the past, actually,

  • the bus drivers weren't very well trained

  • and sometimes they would maybe not, it's extra work for them so they wouldn't

  • necessarily want to help people sometimes

  • But there's been a lot more training put into making sure that doesn't happen

  • and there's also new laws coming into effect recently to prevent discrimination

  • against people with disabilities

  • so I think that's also helping to make things easier to get around as well

  • Ah, usually I use our car, by car, but

  • another prefecture, like Fukushima or Osaka, I use public transportation

  • My husband carry me to seat, to the car seat and fold, folds my electric wheelchair

  • and put the trunk, my wheelchair

  • There are accessible taxis that have lifts in the back of them as well

  • We have to request before one or two days

  • And now they are expensive...

  • Well, no more than a regular taxi

  • but regular taxis in Japan can be quite expensive

  • Very kind taxi company is same price as regular taxi

  • But the special vehicle taxi is very expensive to get it

  • So, normally we have to pay more

  • I asked Yuriko and Josh if they planned their commutes to avoid busy travel times

  • And their answers, well, they were quite different

  • I try to plan, not traffic jam, not busy

  • Because it's very dangerous for wheelchair users

  • and not only for wheelchair users, and

  • elderly people, and mothers with strollers it's very, very dangerous

  • Japanese traffic jam is very crowded

  • I personally don't necessarily put that into, take that into consideration

  • whether it's going to be crowded or not

  • because, you know, I've got my schedule I'd like to keep and my freedom as well

  • So, even if it's going to be rush hour,

  • then I'll still go on the train if that's what's needed

  • It can sometimes, obviously be a little bit difficult to get on,

  • and there's been a couple times where it's just been impossible to get on because of

  • the crowding

  • and I've had to wait one or two trains extra

  • But because there's a space available for people in wheelchairs

  • People are generally quite considerate and will move out of the way even though it's

  • rush hour

  • So it's obviously not the ideal time, but um, if you got to go somewhere

  • it shouldn't stop you I don't think yeah

  • Because of the space created by my wheelchair, and the crowding from behind,

  • sometimes people end up leaning over top of me

  • So it's been some awkward moments where people are quite close,

  • I've had sweat drip on me or something like that from somebody else,

  • but you know, it makes a good story, so yeah

  • I understand where both Yuriko and Josh are coming from

  • If you need to travel somewhere by a certain time, like for work,

  • then go about your business, don't let your disability stop you

  • But, if you're not pressed for time, you'll be more comfortable,

  • whether you're disabled or not, avoiding the hectic, rush hour times

  • So tenji blocks, they are braille blocks,

  • and they are actually designed by somebody in Japan

  • back in the 1960's for his friend who couldn't see

  • What they are, is they're sort of a clue for people with visual impairments

  • so that they can feel with their feet or their cane

  • which direction the street is going

  • As well, if their are any points of concern or points of warning

  • So they are generally stripes if it's a go ahead and at maybe corners,

  • or places where they need to take warning there'll be little dots instead,

  • so they'll also be at the edge of train tracks as well,

  • so people know not to...

  • if they go any further, they'll fall onto the tracks kind of thing

  • There sort of a double-edged sword for people with wheelchairs

  • because they can be a little bit uncomfortable to drive over

  • because of the bumps and stuff

  • But at the same time, it's also a good clue to find the accessible path

  • So maybe if you're in some sort of shopping area,

  • and you want to know where the elevator is

  • You're probably on track if you can follow those tracks, because they will generally

  • lead to the elevator, or an accessible exit, or something like that,

  • so they have their own unique clues as well for people in wheelchairs

  • Japanese bathrooms for wheelchair users is the most convenient in the world

  • So I love it

  • When I go back to Japan, Tokyo,

  • I'm very relieved to use Japanese bathrooms

  • So in addition to the famous washlets and stuff that clean your behind for you

  • one other great thing about toilets in Japan is for people with disabilities

  • they have a thing called the daredemo toilet, sorry, everybody's toilet

  • Third floor there's a colostomy facility

  • On the ninth floor... there's no colostomy facility

  • So many assistive devices in bathrooms for wheelchair users

  • This bathroom is very large, large, is ok?

  • Yeah, large is good!

  • And there are grip, special grip

  • Ok

  • Yes, and back

  • And very accessible for wheelchair users

  • Sitting here, wash hands, washing hands

  • So it's easier to wash your hands?

  • Yeah, I think so

  • Emergency cord

  • Yeah

  • Ah, depending on where it is, it may also have the changing bed

  • Or something for cleaning colostomy bags and stuff like that as well

  • We can turn around in my wheelchair

  • Hi again!

  • The Japanese donatademo toilets looked very useful,

  • but I didn't truly understand their significance

  • until it was contrasted against bathrooms in the U.S.

  • For example, in U.S., there are bathroom space for wheelchair users,

  • but it's separated in men and women, and inside

  • So for me it's difficult to go inside with my husband

  • but in Japan, there are special bathrooms for wheelchair users, so we can go inside,

  • together

  • And so instead of, you know, the women's toilet and the men's toilet,

  • there's usually one more toilet in between those two

  • I know in Canada, they would usually have an accessible stall

  • at the back of the toilet, which is maybe often quite narrow and difficult to use

  • So these are, pretty much, everywhere in Japan, which is just incredible

  • Even if you go to a park, they'll have a separate washroom for people

  • with disabilities in the middle of some residential area

  • So I think that's one of the big things where Japan is definitely leading

  • Japanese toilets are awesome!

  • They use the term barrier free to mean accessibility

  • But so if you ever look for anything online you need to look for something

  • universal design or barrier free

  • So it generally incorporates things, mostly physical adaptations,

  • so slopes and elevators and wider doors and everything like that

  • If there are 3,000 daily passengers, station has to install an elevator

  • In hotels it may mean that the bathroom is bigger

  • and that there's a shower chair available

  • and for tourists attractions, there'd be maybe an alternate route

  • or some sort of adaptation made to it

  • For example Asakusa, the temple Sensoji in Asakusa,

  • they've got an elevator outside of the temple now

  • and they've made it look like it's part of the temple

  • So they've adapted it in that way to make it barrier free

  • Ah, first of all, I would say go for it,

  • it's maybe scary because there's not enough information

  • It's sort of a newer tourist destination and a lot of people aren't thinking

  • about people going with disabilities,

  • so they don't put that kind of information on

  • But it's actually much easier than I thought it was going to be as well

  • I asked if not knowing Japanese would cause issues

  • I wouldn't say it effects them too much more than an average tourist

  • other than in some specific areas perhaps with,

  • because the fact that you can't just get on a regular, a train by yourself

  • You would need to interact with the staff at the station

  • People are obviously, because of the Olympics coming up,

  • are putting a very big effort into learning English

  • And because also there's a ton of new foreign tourists coming lately

  • So people are eager to try out their English

  • So that could be a little bit of a challenge

  • But generally if you remember the phrase, "I would like to go here,

  • please let me use the ramp"

  • then that should be, I think, fine

  • After that it would be probably negotiating with hotels as to what your needs may be

  • Sometimes they don't have the same

  • type of facilities that they would have in North American accessible hotels

  • and if you have specific needs then you might need to make sure they are met before you

  • make the decision

  • I've read the accounts of disabled people who have said they feel like an

  • outsider because they have a disability

  • I've also read many accounts of non-Japanese in Japan who have felt like outsiders

  • So, I asked Josh, what does it feel like to be a double outsider?

  • Because in Japan he's both foreign and disabled

  • In some ways I'm used to being an outsider

  • So because of my disability, and you know, no matter what country you go in

  • kids especially, you know, they'll look, you know, what's going on kind of thing

  • And, so, sometimes I kind of laugh when people who are foreigners coming to Japan

  • and they say, "Everybody is looking at me and I feel so awkward."

  • And I was like well that's always like that wherever I go

  • So, I never necessarily felt any extra eyes on me in Japan,

  • or anything like that

  • And, but in some ways it's also, in the opposite way

  • I feel less like a disabled person here, because of...

  • I'm often, it's more my foreignness that sticks out than my disability

  • So it's almost as if my disability sort of blends,

  • sort of goes away into the background in some situations

  • So, yeah, I mean, it's....

  • in some ways I'm double sticking out, but at the same time

  • you know, I'm no more sticking out than any other foreigner in a way, so...

  • Josh has actually created a site to help

  • English speaking disabled people navigate Japan

  • Um, well I have a full time job, but as a hobby I like to just sort of

  • share about accessibility in Japan through my website accessible-japan.com

  • Right now it's a lot of, sort of, general information, for example on transportation,

  • getting around, and some helpful phrases for people with disabilities

  • As well as I'm trying to go to different sites around Tokyo

  • and Kyoto as well and just sort of

  • So people would say I want to go there but what it's like in a wheelchair?

  • So I look at it from that perspective and sort of tell people about that

  • As well as I have some hotel listings for places that have accessible rooms as well,

  • so...

  • Yuriko goes by the name of Wheelchair Walker and makes excellent videos

  • about travelling Japan, and the world, in a wheelchair

  • Please watch the Wheelchair Walker

  • There are some videos with English subtitles

  • I want to inform about accessibility in Japan

  • And I didn't know how to get super express shinkansen

  • Or board airplane

  • Or mandarin picking

  • Or many things

  • I couldn't enjoy my life, but information can help us

  • I really want to introduce about accessibility in Japan

  • If I do, I will be able to see disabled people in Japan from foreign countries

  • I would say, I would encourage people to not think of it as impossible

  • and it may take a bit of extra work to figure if they can come here or not

  • But, if they want to access my website and send me a message on that

  • then I can try my best anyways to find out things that I don't know about

  • Or assure them that yeah there's no problem, so...

  • Don't give up, come on to Japan, we're waiting for you!

  • Thank you very much!

  • I wanted to give a special shout out to Yuriko and Josh

  • for giving me a peak into their lives

  • They were so helpful in answering questions, letting me film them,

  • and even giving me some additional footage

  • Also a special thank you to Agatha, who helped to translate

  • Now there's a part two, which will talk about living with a disability in Japan

  • So we'll talk about things like living independently,

  • government assistance, and getting helpers

  • This is video is part of a series of social documentaries about Japan

  • If you'd like to support them, I've set up a Patreon page where you can do so

  • Other topics I'll be exploring are homelessness, working, housing, schools,

  • just to name a few

  • As always, thank you so much for watching and I'll catch you on the flip side!

I'm Yuriko Oda and my disease is distal myopathy

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