The Tokyo 2020 Games mark the first time a city has hosted the Paralympics twice and, just as the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics paved the way for a new chapter on disability awareness in Japan, many hope that this summer’s sporting spectacle will have a long-lasting impact on universal access in Japan.
Hosting the Games has spurred Tokyo and other cities to embrace barrier-free infrastructure in places such as sports venues, hotels and train stations in an effort to improve universal access.
“There has been a huge push toward embracing diversity,” says Josh Grisdale, founder of Accessible Japan, which offers advice to travelers with a disability interested in visiting the country.