Etsumi Okigawa hopes to design as many wheelchairs as possible so their users can become everyday fixtures at schools, offices and street corners.
Okigawa is a researcher at Kanagawa Rehabilitation Center, a third-sector medical institution in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. The 43-year-old is one of Japan's few wheelchair design specialists, a task requiring expertise in both mechanical engineering and medical care.
To date, Okigawa has designed some 2,000 wheelchairs, many of which feature special functions to suit the various needs of users, who range from those requiring intensive care to those wanting to zip about a basketball court.