The mother of a man with an intellectual disability has launched a crowdfunding campaign to build an evacuation center where people with disabilities can feel safe. She started her efforts following a powerful earthquake that hit Hokkaido in September last year.
Akiko Aoki, 51, a resident of Abira, which was hit hard by the magnitude 6.7 quake, aims to raise ¥1 million through the online initiative, which will last until Sept. 30. Following the quake, she felt she could not take her son to an ordinary shelter for fear he might panic.
Her 22-year-old son, Koji, who has autism, struggles with adapting to different environments and sometimes yells out during a fit of panic.