Citation

Dobashi Y, Ohmori N. Stud. Health Technol. Inform. 2018; 256: 279-289.

Affiliation

School of Regional Design, Utsunomiya University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, IOS Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

30371486

Abstract

Since after the enactment of a series of accessible laws, accessibility in public spaces in Japan has improved. Many creative initiatives have also been introduced in addition to these conventional facilities. In Sapporo, the city introduced a "special seat system" to the subway instead of the more common "priority seats." In Fukuoka, the local transportation bureau introduced a Braille block with wheelchair crossing points so that wheelchair users could cross them with ease when boarding the train. In Sendai, the Transport Bureau introduced wide entrance/exit gates to enable all passengers, including wheelchair users and others to pass through the gates more easily. What is common to them is that they required only a simple modification of existing systems, and that they were implemented by the bold decisions of transportation operators who lent an ear to users' voices as possible solutions. There is still ample room to improve accessibility in public spaces by examining the actual usage and status of relevant measures in Japan.

Language: en

Keywords

Creativity; existing systems; modification; users' voices