A man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS — the same disease famed physicist Stephen Hawking has — demanded Tuesday that the Diet rethink how it treats people with disabilities after he was prevented from appearing as a witness during a committee session last week due to communication difficulties.
The Lower House Health, Labor and Welfare Committee did not allow Hiroki Okabe, 58, to appear as a witness May 10 to discuss a bill on supporting people with disabilities.
The Democratic Party initially proposed the idea of inviting him to the session, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was reluctant to do so, saying "it would take time to communicate."