Accessible Japan
Is Japan accessible/to tourists with disabilities?// Josh Grisdale,/who runs the website Accessible Japan,/discusses this question.//
　　When I was six months old,/I was diagnosed/with severe cerebral palsy.// I have used an electric wheelchair/since I was four years old.//
　　I was born in Canada/but now live in Tokyo,/working at a care facility.// My job is to manage a website/for a group that runs nursing homes,/kindergartens,/and nursery schools.//
　　You may wonder/why I came all the way to Japan/despite my physical condition.// When I was in high school,/I took Japanese language classes.// The more I studied about Japan,/the more I wanted to see Japan/with my own eyes.//
　　In 2000,/I received a gift from my father:/a one-month trip to Japan!// After doing a tour in Asakusa,/my father and I were on our way back to the hotel.// We got to the subway entrance/but we couldn’t find an elevator.// Not knowing what to do,/we asked where the elevator was.// To our surprise,/six subway employees came/and carried me and my 130-kilogram wheelchair/down the stairs.// I will never forget that experience.// It was then/that I dreamed of making Japan my home.//

　　In 2007,/I moved permanently to Tokyo.// Being an adventurer at heart,/I visited lots of places in Japan.// I learned that Japan was very accessible/for people in wheelchairs.// Yet a lot of visitors from abroad/were having difficulty/getting information in English.// I wanted to do something for them.//
　　In 2015,/I started Accessible Japan,/an English website/which provides information for visitors with disabilities,/like the location of elevators and restrooms/as well as the accessibility of tourist sites.// People should not have to give up/their dream of visiting Japan/just because of a lack of information.//
　　Fortunately,/my efforts have touched the lives of many people.// Encouraged by the information on my website,/an Australian girl with cerebral palsy and her father/realized their dream of coming to Japan.// They both loved anime.//
　　On another occasion,/having seen my website,/staff members of the Nezu Museum asked me/to check the accessibility of their facilities.// I noticed a problem/with the museum’s toilet:/it didn’t have a backrest.// The staff went right to work.// On my next visit,/they were very proud to show me/the new backrest on the toilet.//

　　For the past decade,/Japan has been making progress/in creating a friendly environment for people with disabilities,/but there are still many challenges to overcome.// For instance,/the entrances to restaurants often have steps/which divide the building from the outside area.// It could be a barrier for people like me.// Another problem is the accessibility of hotel rooms.// In fact,/less than one percent of hotel rooms/are accessible for people in wheelchairs.//
　　I suggest/that if we meet these challenges,/we will have greater business opportunities.// For example,/if you make your restaurant more accessible,/then you will have 10 percent more customers/because 10 to 15 percent of the world population is disabled.// People with disabilities/tend not to travel alone.// They often travel in groups or with families,/which would mean many more customers.//
　　Also,/I’ve been working with tour companies,/setting up training sessions for tour guides/which help them learn/how to support people in wheelchairs.// If tourism supports more tourists with disabilities/and provides better services,/more people will come to Japan,/and that will support Japan’s economy.//

　　Going back to the topic of Accessible Japan,/I firmly believe in two principles.// The first principle is/to get first-hand information/by personally visiting the sites.// In fact,/I’ve visited 95 percent of the tourist locations/listed on my website.// To make my website more reliable,/I make it a rule to take pictures,/talk to local people,/and take notes.//
　　The second principle is/to be honest and objective.// I’ve been trying to upload detailed information/as much as possible,/such as information about steps at tourist attractions.// I try not to say,/“This place is accessible,/so you can go there,”/because accessibility varies from person to person.// I may find the place accessible,/while someone else may not.// What I try to do/is to help people make their own decisions/based on objective facts.//
　　In 2016,/I became a Japanese citizen/because I wanted to be involved/in all levels of Japanese society.// Now,/I want Japan/to become the leader in accessibility.// I’d like to do my part/to make that happen/through my Accessible Japan project.// I will keep working on my website/in the spirit of omotenashi,/which I have learned in this country.//