This article is also available in: 日本語
I have started writing a column for Base inc since this summer. My latest article is released and I want to introduce in English:)
Here is the original version in Japanese.
http://www.thebase.co.jp/blog/diversity/gifted/1916/
*** Updated on March 29, 2016 ***
“Base inc” will be close by the end of March 2016.
If you want to read the original article in Japanese, please click here.
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Hi, it’s Mizuki!
I have moved to Syracuse in New York in the US.
I am working on a research of employment systems for people with disabilities.
Actually this is my second time to live in the US.
I came here 8 years ago, in 2007.
I transferred to University of Wisconsin and spent 2 years to pursue my bachelor’s degree.
The reason why I decided to study abroad was that I thought “foreign countries would have better accessible environments for wheelchair user than Japan does.”
I found it my thought was absolutely right once I arrived at the US.
I would like to share the main reasons why I love the life in the US as a wheelchair user.
1. Public Restroom Accessibility
In Japan, there is a type of restroom called “multiple-purpose bathroom” which have a big space with many functions and can be used not only by wheelchair users, but also parent(s) with baby, elder people, and ostomates etc.
A multiple-purpose restroom is usually open to all genders.
Some people appreciate this because they need a support from an opposite sex person (ex. family members) or they are LGBT.
However I feel unconformable to use a restroom that is also used by male users.
Another issue is that the number of multiple-purpose restroom is limited in many places.
On top of that, since many people can use it at anytime, I often have to wait in a line even when I need to use it urgently.
In the end, my kidney is damaged by holding urine for too long many times.
In the US, a regular restroom is usually big enough to accommodate me and my wheelchair.
Even small cafes and clubs have those large restrooms. I don’t need to worry about finding a restroom anywhere.
You can also find a separated big restroom like the Japanese multiple-purpose restroom in a shopping mall or airport etc.
2. Entrance Accessibility
There are many attractive stores and restaurants in Japan.
However I often give up on visiting them when I find stairs and steps in front of their entrances.
I don’t want to bother my family or friends as well as the staffs at the store.
If I really want to go, I always check and call them and ask if it’s wheelchair accessible beforehand.
I can do that, but it takes time and it is troublesome.
In the US, many stores and restaurants are built with wheelchair accessibility.
Even if there are only stairs at the front entrance, there should be a ramp in the back door or somewhere.
I never need to check the accessibility in advance when I live in the US.
3. People Don’t Stare at Me
When I live in Japan, people stare at me especially children and elder people.
Children stare at me because they have never seen person in wheelchair before in their lives.
Elder people do it because they barely see wheelchair users going on the street in the old days in Japan.
Well, I’m very used to those attention on me since I’m in wheelchair for long time, but it is never comfortable.
In the US, I have never been stared at like that both in urban and rural areas.
It is because people often see wheelchair users in daily life.
You can see a wheelchair user in general American dramas, movies, and animations etc.
Japanese shows do adopt wheelchair characters too, but in many cases, the main topic is “the life of wheelchair user” or actor/actress appear as patient in wheelchair at hospital.
For wheelchair users, living in the US is more comfortable than living in Japan not only because of tangible perspectives but also intangible ones.
One of the laws that related to this accessible environment is “ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)”.
It is established in 1990.
It is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations.
Of course, it doesn’t mean the environment of the US is perfect for “all” wheelchair users.
Taking a different perspective, Japan has its strengths.
For example, excellent quality of customer service.
The sprit of “Omotenashi (means ‘to entertain guests wholeheartedly’)” used in the presentation of bidding to host Tokyo Olympic/Paralympic in 2020.
The polite and delicate customer service is the world top class, I believe.
Sometime customer service for wheelchair user may be too much, but it’s because Japanese people treasure their customers including wheelchair users.
In my life in the US, I would like to see the “present” of the US.
I want to learn the good points as well as the issues that needs to be solved.
I want to become a person who can stimulate and give a positive change to Japanese society.
That is my goal.
