A leading expert on accessibility says Japan needs to undergo a basic shift in how it thinks about people with disabilities as the government pushes a campaign to make the country more accessible ahead of the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
While the games can potentially leave a legacy aimed at a more inclusive country, Ryoji Hoshika, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said that although well-intentioned, society often takes a stance of helping people with disabilities more out of pity than respect.
"If you just call on people to help out of pity, this just reinforces the concept of 'the side who does something for someone' and 'the side for whom something is done,' " said Hoshika, who is visually impaired.