The Paralympic Games cannot, and should not, be expected to resolve every aspect of disability inequality or remove the practical barriers that can challenge independent living. However, we should have learned by now to not underestimate their power. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games offer a huge opportunity for the city and for Japan as a whole, and it’s one that should be capitalised on.
This week news stories emerged detailing the significant challenge of finding accessible accommodation in Japan, where hotels have demanded payment to make hotel rooms accessible for Paralympics GB athletes, then a subsequent payment to convert them back. It sounds like a form of exclusion – or people being penalised for being disabled. Gradually, grants are being made available to help support the process, and the British Paralympic Association has been collaborating with partners to share knowledge and expertise from the UK in how to make rooms truly accessible. But it has been a long-term conundrum that has prompted some to question if the Paralympic Games will have the impact in Tokyo that we would hope for. If these stories of hotels charging for improved accessibility play out, that’s not what we would recognise as progress, or any lasting positive legacy.
The question we should be asking is, what do the disabled people of Japan expect to gain from the Games being held there?
Judging by the way they are handling the room conversion issue, I sense a big challenge. Japan is a wealthy, developed nation – so should we expect more from them? Yes, they should be doing a lot more to welcome the disabled communities of the world arriving in their country, and they should be doing an awful lot more to improve the quality of life of the Japanese disabled community.
Here in the UK we have the experience of London 2012, which demonstrated the power of the Games. The power to fill a stadium of 80,000 people. The power to start conversations around disability on primetime TV and give Paralympic athletes a platform to talk about their lives and experiences. The power to encourage people to go back to sport, to get active and to try new things.
This was our experience of the Paralympics, and we are all curious to see what the impact of the Games will be in Japan. In terms of accessibility, life remains far from barrier-free here in the UK. We continue to advocate for better access and inclusion in transport systems, job opportunities, education and many more areas. But my experience of being a Paralympic athlete has made me part of a movement that is growing, opening the door to more developing nations, and creating opportunities for athletes from all over the world.
Every competitor arriving in Tokyo next year will bring with them the experience of their own country, their own culture and their own challenges in making it to the Games. Many will have travelled the world to compete, and found that attitudes to disabled people can vary hugely – it is not news to us that a worldwide standard of accessibility does not exist. This is where our voices come in: we should think ahead and advocate for inclusive design in Olympic facilities (and elsewhere) that can be accessed and used by as many people as possible, regardless of disability, age and gender.
Our definition of accessibility in the UK is completely different to that in Japan, and it will require a shift in perceptions and understanding to bring about lasting change. The Paralympic Games can be the catalyst for such change – and it’s an opportunity that Japan should embrace. Being a major economy, it should easily be able to make the hotel rooms accessible and keep them that way to encourage disabled people to visit a beautiful country.
• Anne Wafula Strike is a Paralympian wheelchair racer and a disability rights campaigner