Paralympics: IPC to continue preps for Tokyo Games despite coronavirus

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The International Paralympic Committee said Thursday it will stay the course in preparations for this summer’s Tokyo Games despite mounting concerns over the spread of coronavirus in Japan.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2020/02/28/paralympics-ipc-to-continue-preps-for-tokyo-games-despite-coronavirus/

NHK reports on the fourth day of hearings, the families of the Sagamihara victims speak out in court.

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A man accused of killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more in a knife rampage at a care home for mentally disabled people near Tokyo in 2016 pleaded not guilty Wednesday in court, insisting he was mentally incompetent.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2020/01/08/man-pleads-not-guilty-over-2016-mass-murder-of-19-people-at-care-home/

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A man accused of killing 19 residents and injuring dozens more at a care home for people with mental disabilities in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2016 said on Monday 23rd December that he will admit to charges of murder and attempted murder at his trial, slated to begin on January 8th. It was previously reported by Kyodo News that the he would plead not guilty.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/12/24/confusion-over-how-care-home-killings-suspect-intends-to-plead/

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IT’S CHRISTMAS! This will probably my last ‘Disability News Japan’ podcast of 2019, although there is an interesting report about how FY 2018 was a record high for abuse of people with disabilities in Japan as 2,745 were recorded. The trial of the suspect in the Sagamihara ‘stabbings’ or ‘massacre’ case will begin on January 8th 2020

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/12/20/abuses-against-disabled-hit-record-2745-in-japan-in-fy-2018/

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A man accused of killing 19 residents at a care home for mentally disabled people near Tokyo is expected to plead not guilty at a trial to begin ion January 8th, sources reported on Friday 13th December.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/12/14/sagamihara-care-home-stabbings-accused-to-plead-not-guilty/

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Under questioning in parliament on Tuesday, PM Abe repeated this explanation, adding the shredding took place when it did “because of the work schedule of the disabled contractor in charge”.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/12/04/prime-minister-abe-blames-shredding-of-documents-of-cherry-blossom-viewing-party-on-the-work-schedule-of-the-disabled-contractor-in-charge/

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Eiko Kimura, a member of the Reiwa Shinsengumi political party, who has a severe disability, asked her first question at the National Land Transportation Committee on November 5th. Kimura, who was elected for the first time in the Summer, at House of Councilors election, faced the first question at the House of Councilors Land Transportation Committee on the 5th, and gave her opinion to the government about making public facilities barrier-free.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/11/05/asking-her-first-question-at-the-diet-disabled-lawmaker-eiko-kimura-highlights-accessibility-issues-at-public-facilities-in-japan/

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The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games marathon will proceed in the Japanese capital as planned, International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said Thursday. Parsons made the statement after meeting in Tokyo with local organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori as talks continue between the Tokyo metropolitan government and the International Olympic Committee on the relocation of the Olympic marathon and race walk events to Sapporo.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/10/31/paralympics-ipc-says-marathon-to-proceed-in-tokyo/

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A woman in her 70s died after accidentally falling from a helicopter in a rescue operation during Typhoon Hagibis. The Tokyo Fire Department apologized on October 13th for the accident, saying that rescuers forgot to attach the hook of her safety harness.

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2019/10/15/elderly-woman-falls-to-her-death-in-typhoon-hagibis-rescue-operation-updated/