先週末、何となくテレビを見ていたらNHKで「ハートネット」という番組がありました。
テーマは「障害者差別解消法」。今年６月に成立された、障害の有無にかかわらない共生社会の実現を目指す法律らしいです（初めて聞いた…）。
その中で、アメリカの障害者に対する社会の取り組みが少し紹介されていたので、思わず番組サイトに私の経験や思いを書きこみました。
コメントを書いてくださった方がいて本当に嬉しかったです。
アメリカで見たり経験したことは自分の思い出だけにせずに、このブログや他メディアを通してどんどん発信していかなければ！と感じました。
I posted my experience in US and thoughts on NHK (=Japan’s national public broadcasting org.) TV program website.
Last weekend, the TV program introduced new Japanese law for the handicapped established in June.
The law is to resolve the discrimination against the disabled and strive to create a society that people can live together without regard to the disabled or non-disabled (I haven’t heard about this till then).
During the program, US’s efforts were introduced for a little.
I think Japan can learn many things from US about this topic, so I posted this;
Title: My Wheelchair Life in US
I have been in wheelchair since I was kid.
I have already had a disability in my legs when I became old enough to understand what’s going on around me, so I just accepted everything even when I felt inconvenience in my life.
However when I went to Australia in the field trip of high school for the 1st time, I had an impressive experience that I could go around so freely even in wheelchair!
After I returned from Australia, I thought I should live in a foreign country not in Japan, and started collecting information of study abroad.
I finished high school and 2 years college in Japan, and transferred to the university in US.
I lived there for 2 years, and didn’t feel any inconveniences at all, although the town I was living was very small and countryside.
All supermarkets, restaurants, clubs, and even mall cafes are wheelchair accessible.
Of course, they have parking spaces for wheelchair users and only people having a special tag can park there.
In Japan, non-wheelchair users often park in the wheelchair marked parking space.
But American people don’t even try to park there due to the strict law and fine.
Also in US, there are many places having a wheelchair marked button which can open the door automatically in supermarket or buildings on campus etc.
Moreover, American people don’t go into an elevator first when they find wheelchair users in the waiting line.
They let wheelchair users go first, which most Japanese don’t even if they notice wheelchair users.
I’m now living in Tokyo for my job, but I really feel that US is a lot more comfortable to live in many situations.
Japan has top class in economy in the world, but has to improve more and more in welfare system and human education.
As Tokyo hosts Olympic/Paralympic Games in 2020, I really want Japan to put a lot of effort into welfare by then.
Glad I received a comment about my post!
I realised that I should provide things I saw or experienced in US through this blog or other media, not just keeping them as good memories in me.