Just two days before our departure from Furano to Bangkok, my dear mother Mary was injured on the icy streets of Omaha. She fell on a busy downtown street and was nearly run over by multiple careening trucks. She managed to drag herself off the road and somehow made it to the bus and to work (raised on a farm, my mother is accustomed to performing extraordinary physical feats while in serious pain). Once she arrived at work she promptly received assistance getting to the hospital for medical attention. My older cousin Ed, an extremely talented Omaha orthopedist, is her doctor. Mom's left kneecap is broken and the meniscus is torn, but Ed says she thankfully does not need surgery. My mother is the chaplain at a retirement facility, and her employer has been extremely helpful. She was immediately given two weeks off work and since the "Christmas break", she as worked shorter days so that she can come home to rest. Her boss arranged for her to use a scooter at work, and even decorated the scooter and deemed it "Mary's Chariot of Fire" or something funny/clever like that. Being that she works at a retirement facility, of course her workplace is completely accessible. Her coworkers and residents have shown concern, accommodated her special needs, expressed gratitude for her presence, and made jokes to demonstrate a positive attitude about the situation. Over the holidays our large circle of family and friends gathered to help Mom. Her partner Michael is an excellent caretaker. Everyone, even her hairdresser, has offered to help.
For daily transportation to and from work, Mom usually rides the bus. This is very rare in Omaha as our public transportation system is inadequately funded/used/organized. However, she is committed to limiting carbon output (hooray for her!). Now that she is on crutches, she has still been able to use the Omaha bus system's MOBY program: "The MOBY Paratransit Program is an advance reservation curb-to-curb transportation service for residents of the city of Omaha and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) eligible persons visiting within Omaha's city limits, who, as a result of their disabilities, are unable, to use conventional ADA fixed-route (MAT) bus service." Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the city bus system uses mandated federal, state and city funds to provide this service. So great!
http://www.metroareatransit.com/
Also in Omaha, Nick's wonderful mother Pat uses a scooter on a daily basis. She is a great proponent of the Americans with Disabilities Act and is a wonderful source of information and encouragement as I learn to deal with my temporary injury. (Watch this space for more information about how Pat is successfully mobile, all around the country.)
Here in Japan, my situation has been quite different. I am new to my job and to this community. Thankfully, I have been offered help from several friends/teachers. Many of my gaijin friends have gone out of their way to be in close communication; two even came to visit me Sunday afternoon. Both my supervisor and my coworker give me rides to the office and doctor visits. But because of a difference in culture about work ethics and injury, I have really struggled to feel supported in my healing process at work. Part of the reason is that I was on vacation while injured, and now my vacation (which most Japanese people are entitled to take but never do) is directly affecting my work abilities. It took a lot of conversation (fight?) to get any time off to heal. Yet I am very lucky that my office is in a new building which is fully accessible with ramps and elevators. One of the dozen schools I visit is accessible. Most of Japan is not accessible, and it does not appear that there are rules to require that older buildings are retroactively remodeled. Using the local train requires scaling four long flights of stairs. The bus which we used to get from Sapporo to Furano was also not accessible, so I had to hop and bear the pain.
From this experience, I am altogether more aware of and grateful for the ADA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990
2 comments:
from previous conversations with you, i am under the impression that japanese culture does not want to accept/embrace those with disabilities or illnesses. like your friend who had serious surgery and no one could look at her when they spoke to her. as if coming in contact with someone who is not "whole" will contaminate you, is shameful, etc. (is this an accurate assessment?) anyway, i wonder if there is nothing like the ADA in japan because by making work, stores, cafes, etc. more accessible, they are encouraging the disabled/injured/sick to come out and be an equal part of society. when clearly they are not seen that way. making things accessible to them is in a way accepting them. what do you think? is this a fair observation/insight, or do you think it is due to other reasons?
I can use my trump card with the
ADA (Americans Disability Act).
Before 1994, many non able-bodied
persons struggled to be their own advocates for a change. First, the change of the public will included that of attitude. Much like the women's movement/racial/religious intolerances, the disabled ones were ignored and/or treated as inconveniences or outcasts. I knew one of the first(Bernie Hall, re:1968) in Omaha who made his presence known publically from a wheelchair that his quadraplegia did not hamper his mind. He made an impact on curb cuts in part of downtown Omaha before heading off to D.C. It was there that he was appointed as a "spokesperson"...no legislation. I heard Ed Kennedy Jr.(lost part of one leg) speak at a post polio conference in 1987...still no Bill passed.
In 1994 the enactment of ADA began. I used a sport's chair to play wheelchair tennis & racket ball in 1984. I had already mastered popping "wheelies" over curbs.In 2000, I became permanently confined to a scooter.My needs for wheelchair accessibility began long before 1994. My sons were born in '76 & '78. In 2007, West Omaha replaced curb cuts at all the major intersections I've seen. Action takes time and money. Sure there is a thick manual mandating changes of all sorts. Most new establishments
abide by the regulations for many disabilities. We have parking for the elderly. It is very irritating to experience when the code calls for one parking place per block but the curb cut in strip malls, cemetaries,et al is at the other end of many parked vehicles. The ADA was at it's peak after 1994 & continues to provide a substancial # of improvements & updates to decrease the huge pockets of isolation felt by disabled persons before the law was initially enforced.
There are glitches. Places built before 1994 are not required to provide adequate public bathrooms. (they are grandfathered in) People have become sensitized to others who are not wholly functional. I find that people are very gracious to me esp. when I smile & ask for help or simply thank them when assistance is offered. I am fortunate to be actively living in a society where technology has provided an electric scooter, an automatic Ramp Van with hand controls to drive it, & take me all over this city & those within driving distances. When travel plans are distant, "Wheelchair Getaways" are independent companies which offer Ramp Vans for rentals in many cities & states in the USA.
Another barrier which I have been able to overcome is getting into the newer homes & past their thresholds which are exceedingly & unnecessarily steep. It has required the purchase of ramps. A 3'ramp will get me through the doorway. For homes with a couple of sloping stairs leading up to the door, I use a 7'folding ramp.
The Barriers in Furano are also pervasive throughout Japan. I spoke with a friend, Hal O'Leary, who developed the NSCD(National Sport Center for the Disabled)over the past 35+ yrs. He has been to Japan a dozen times. I helped him write the opening speech for the Para-Olympics in Nagana's winter games. I met the downhill ski team from New Zealand where they trained in Winter Park that year. This summer I asked Hal how accessible Japan would be for me. He said, frankly, that it would be a patchy chance to be mobile.
Teresa has a specific disadvantage due to her injury. The Japanese culture does not recognize that people have dis-abilities &/or are equal to able bodies. Their thought proccesss seem archaic & primitive with difficulty in problem solving an unfortunate injury.
An example my friend, Hal, told me when he visited China. He asked where their disadvantaged or disabled people were...they said, "we don't have disabilities." I don't like thinking about what happens when a child is born & not perfectly whole and functional. Now that is extremely primitive in a country who is trying to emerge economically. I know there are countries are still looking for live, male babies. Many of the Chinese adopted babies are girls.
Japan has risen economically since WW II, but I am truly shocked & saddened that their values of equality for an injured person is a denial of that existence. I experienced closed attitudes while in college, graduate school & applications for positions but that was in the 1960s in USA. Reasons were given to me why I was not "employable." Later my collegues told me that these prejudices were "unspoken rules."I proved these excuses wrong by continuing to be the best I could be until my skills were recognized & I never had to apply for another position; I was called & asked to work in my profession.
Teresa is living that prejudice in a small ski village in Furano. Her persistence is honorable & I know she is making a difference in breaking those barriers & building new bridges of thought & action.
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