People with disabilities ‘can do everything’
ANDREW Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), hopes Tokyo 2020 will spark a change in perceptions of people with disabilities in Japan.
Sunday marks a year to go until the start of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which run from 25 August to 6 September, and Parsons, who took over as IPC president in 2017, is confident the Games will have a lasting impact beyond the 13 days of sporting action.
Parsons told Reuters he thought both Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe were on the same page when it came to the legacy of the Paralympics.
“I believe that governor Yuriko Koike and prime minister Abe are serious when they talk about legacy,” said Parsons. “The first thing is that they accept, and this is really important, they accept that they need to improve even in an advanced society.”
For Parsons, this means changing Japanese society’s perceptions of what people with disabilities are capable of. The Brazilian said he wanted the Paralympics to shine as an example of what they can achieve.
“We have been visiting Japan since 2013 very often and what we realise is the perception of Japanese people to those with disabilities is one of over-protection,” said Parsons.
“You don’t see many people with disabilities on the streets of Tokyo.
“To show to Japan the feats of our athletes, who can do things that was previously thought impossible, will change key things in the mind of Japanese society that people with disabilities can do everything. They can be productive citizens, they can work, they can study and can go out there and do anything anybody else can do.”
The ticket pricing structure has been created with a view to attracting as many young people to attend Paralympic events as possible, which includes seats as cheap as $8.55.
“The change is there when they are adults and making decisions, not only on a political level but also at a service level, where people will have a different perception of people with disabilities,” said Parsons.