August 27, 19:28 which cannot be expected in the Tokyo Paralympics

"The people who go to the Paralympic Games are special"
“After all, a momentary event.

This is the word that people with disabilities spelled about the Paralympic Games.

The results of an awareness survey conducted for persons with disabilities in front of the Tokyo Paralympics that were approaching one year later were announced.
From there, we can see the distance of the heart to the Paralympics that people with disabilities have felt.
(Sports News Department reporter Nozomi Kunitake)

Unexpected results in a consciousness survey ...

In July, a private research institute, the Research Institute for Persons with Disabilities, conducted a questionnaire survey on the Tokyo Paralympics for 2,000 people with disabilities and received responses from 374 people. .

The result.

In response to the question “Do you think that understanding of people with disabilities will progress through the Tokyo Paralympics?” ▽ Those who answered that understanding will progress for all people with disabilities decreased by 1 point from the October survey, 12% On the other hand, ▽ not progressing at all increased by 5 points to 17%, ▽ not progressing very much increased by 7 points to 33%, and half of the negative answers.

In response to the question “I want to watch the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics”, while ▽ 45% of people want to watch both competitions, ▽ I don't want to watch both competitions, but 40%, ▽ Although 11% did not want to watch the game, the number of people who were reluctant to watch the game increased by 10 points from the average, to 51%, more than half.

Spreading heart distance

These words were in the free description column.

“After all, those who go to the Paralympics are“ special ”” “After all, momentary events. Forget about time.”
"In fact, prejudice hasn't disappeared because I'm drunk to show it as understanding"
“Unfortunately, the Paralympic Games are forced to lead a life of disability and unfortunately do not lead to the understanding of people with disabilities living a difficult life.”

Many thoughts that they were left out of the Paralympic Games.

Director Shigeo Toda of the Research Institute for Persons with Disabilities who conducted the survey said the results were much more negative than expected.

On top of that, “If the disabled person has not realized a great change in society even after the opening of the event one year later, it may be a feeling of disappointment or giving up on the contrary.” Pointed out.

Betrayed expectations

Where does the disappointment of people with disabilities come from?

Miwa Fukuda, who lives in Tokyo, collapsed due to cerebral hemorrhage when she was 28 years old and left her body on the left side. Wheelchairs cannot be let go of life, but they live independently while working at home.

Seven years ago when the Paralympics were decided to be held in Tokyo, he was excited about how society would change. We were expecting that the barrier-free construction of stations, roads, public facilities, etc. would be carried out and that the improvement of hardware would proceed, and that the understanding of people with disabilities would also advance.

However, that expectation was betrayed.

For example, waiting for several tens of minutes when using the toilet outside is a common practice.

The station's toilets for disabled people can be opened from the outside after 30 minutes. When Ms. Fukuda, who was waiting, opened the door, a man who lay down on a sheet to change diapers and operated a smartphone, a businessman who was reading a newspaper, and a person who was eating a lunch box.

This experience has already reached 10 times.

Mr. Fukuda said, “It ’s like“ Che ”for opening the door without permission. I ’m sad that I thought it was bad.”

Taxi doesn't stop

A tall wagon-type taxi, like the London taxi that has become common in the city.

I expected that it would become easier to ride as a wheelchair, making it easier to ride.

However, even if you try to stop this taxi on the street, you have never stopped.

Mr. Fukuda can walk with his cane, but when he stands and tries to stop a taxi, he will stop right away, so the difference is stupid.

I want to enjoy the Paralympic Games ...

When you are in a wheelchair, you suddenly get a voice from an unfamiliar person in the city, and you may get hurt.

“From the person who saw the Paralympics, I approached,“ Wow! ”,“ If you do something, you can do it, you can do it. ”

You can see that he said with the intention of cheering, but there are many different types of disabilities. Fukuda says, “I feel like I ’m pushing it a little.”

Still, “I want to go to see the Paralympic Games, and if possible, I want to have fun and enjoy it together. "I was talking to chew each word."

Distance felt even by athletes

Some disabled athletes have felt the distance to the Paralympic Games.

Akira Fukuda, who lives in Tokyo, is now 62 years old.

16 years ago, he fell due to cerebral hemorrhage, and paralysis remained on his right half. Mr. Fukuda who was running an electronics store. At the time of the fall, he was working hard and the children were junior high school students. I can't speak words and my body doesn't move. He seemed to have been living like a withdrawal for two years in a trap of despair.

However, with the support of his family, he resumed swimming, which he loved, and gained his power as soon as he looked. Mr. Fukuda achieved two wins in the national competition for swimming for disabled people.

Nevertheless, the Paralympic Games are not good for their own classes of disabilities in addition to their age, so they gave up trying to participate.

Mr. Fukuda said, “Even people with sports disabilities are paralympic players on the cloud. There are many people who are full of their lives. Even if the Paralympic is excited, we have a cold feeling that our lives will not change. I think there are many people with disabilities. "

I want to shorten the distance to society

Mr. Fukuda seems to have many opportunities to talk with people with disabilities in swimming guidance and employment consultation.

Many people came to feel disappointment with society and the distance between people with disabilities, and thought that this also led to the distance of the heart to the Paralympic Games.

Fukuda comes up with an idea. It is “providing an opportunity for both disabled and healthy people to enjoy and communicate together”.

That's why I noticed “Table Tennis Valley”.

Table Tennis Valley is a game in which six teams play a ball that makes a sound on a table tennis table while sitting in a chair or wheelchair.

Although it is not yet known to the general public, it is a game designed for children with muscular dystrophy, and has started to spread throughout the country as both disabled and healthy people can enjoy the same, from children to the elderly. 50,000 people at home and abroad.

Table tennis valley that anyone can enjoy

Mr. Fukuda started activities to spread the table tennis valley locally two years ago, and now about 100 people enjoy it.

On the day of the interview, a selection team in Tokyo aiming to participate in the tournament practiced.

Among them, a woman with a paralysis in the left half of the body who was enthusiastically speaking out loudly talked with a smile saying, “I was able to talk with everyone and love teamwork, and I felt like I would play sports.” It was.

A male employee with a foot injury describes Table Tennis Valley as “a bridge that connects tomorrow”.

In addition, a woman who participated with her husband with a disability said, “I didn't know if anyone could do this, or if a healthy person and a disabled person could work together. It was really good to get to know various people.” I was talking.

Mr. Fukuda hopes that the negative feelings that people with disabilities will have for the Paralympics will be diminished by having many people participate in these places, regardless of whether they are disabled or healthy.

Mr. Fukuda said, “I think I can find a clue that many people can communicate in Table Tennis Valley. But there are many ways to do it. I'm just going to continue. "

A society where you can extend a little kindness

The results of this questionnaire were also something that allowed me to reconsider my own interview attitude, "Isn't you just looking at the superficial part?"

Rather than feeling disappointed with the Paralympic itself, I felt that it clearly reflected the challenges on the part of society.

Miwa Fukuda, a wheelchair, said at the end that he talked about many events that would break his heart.

There is another year to the Tokyo Paralympics. I would like to continue my interviews so that I can get closer to such a society.

Sports news department reporter Nozomi Kunitake