I Broke My Foot in Japan: How Accessible is Tokyo?

The lengths Emma will go to for content is amazing. She breaks her own foot just to do accessibility content... WOW!

As a permanent wheelchair user people stepping over me is my biggest annoyance, and people do it all the time. Just ask us to move if possible it's not that hard. Also I've been using a chair for most of my life and I still get guilty asking for help sometimes, I think it just comes naturally with how the world handles disability.

'The chair doesn't go that far' is such a damning sentiment after watching this hahaha. Glad you're better since this!

One of those three sinks is a ostomy specific toilet! It's designed so that people with ostomy bags can empty their bags while standing, if they are able. Japanese disabled bathrooms having ostomy specific accommodations is incredible. I really wish that was a lot more common where I live.

"The CT scan will be very very expensive!" (price is significantly less than just the ambulance ride in America. Even with insurance)

This is a reminder that anyone can join the disabled community at any time. All humans deserve respect and access. A lot of the world is not disability accessible, so many places are bared by stairs, really steep ones in a lot of cases. Some places in the world disabled people just don't leave their homes because they just can't. They become invisible, forgotten and its wrong. Disability access only makes things better for everyone. Even able-bodied people benefit from good disability access.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when Emma breaks her foot in Tokyo, she makes content about accessibility living in Tokyo.

I’m so glad you touched on how quickly a person with health and mobility can become disabled. I also appreciate your mentions of ‘medical tourism’, internalized ableism, and chronic pain. This disabled person with invisible illness is proud of you for sharing your experience in a mindful way. 💌

The change from 'can't talk about what happened' to seeing the outfit and me going 'oh..I understand' made me giggle

I'm disabled, so this is hella useful! Thank you!!! <3

As someone with a disability, I apperciate how much thought you put into this. Alot of Able-bodied people don't do that and treat us like second class citizens... so thank you. I am glad you are feeling better!!

I’ve been in a wheelchair many times due to a mobility issue and subsequent surgeries, as well as one time due to an injury. I was in Tokyo in a wheelchair at Narita airport and also at Tokyo Disneyland- Disney Sea. The rest of my time in Tokyo I was able to get around without assistance as my need for walking was limited. I found the Japanese people to be extremely helpful and polite, especially at Disney Sea. In the airport I was met at the plane by an employee with a wheelchair (set up in advance through the airline), and they took me through customs, all the way to my baggage pickup process. I had friends to manage my bags for me and was able to walk to our bus. At Disney Sea I rented a wheelchair (don’t remember the cost, but it was very reasonable), and I found it very easy to get around. My friends pushed me throughout, but one decided to hop on my lap without telling me. BAD IDEA! I actually ended up with a worsened injury. I didn’t tell her until well after the trip, I didn’t want her to feel bad. Otherwise, I had a great time. Staff made access very easy, communicating with a little green booklet they gave me to use at each ride, and even had an employee escort me and my small group to a special viewing area to watch the water show when they noticed me trying to watch from my chair. Besides this, I’ve also been home, here in California, and experienced life in a wheelchair. NOT FUN, not even at Disneyland. You don’t realize until your in the situation, how hard it is to navigate hallways, doorways, thresholds, bathrooms, and even handicap accessible parking lots until you need to do it on your own in a wheelchair. Luckily, I could get up and transfer myself, and even move my chair through an area separately, then sit back down. And Disneyland is horrible in a wheelchair or mobility scooter. People cut in front of you like you aren’t there, causes you to stop suddenly to avoid hitting them, and things are going on above the level you’re at. And trying to navigate alone in Disneyland? I wouldn’t suggest it. I had blisters on my hands within hours as the distance and changing elevations made it very physically demanding. But someone pushing you in a crowd can be very nerve wracking too, especially when you get very close to other people or objects. Chairs pivot on a point below the center of your body, so a fast turn means your feet are swinging around very quickly, easily injured if you hit anything. Anyone helping you needs to know what they are doing; how to move, set the brakes, move the foot supports, take you over bumps or go down inclines (often easier and more comfortable to do in reverse/backwards), and deal with other people around you. And socializing is difficult if everything is happening a couple feet above you, and you just see butts and crotches all day. It’s nice when someone sits down next to you to chat. And don’t get me started on people who take disabled parking spots who are not handicapped.

Only 5 minutes in and am stunned at the affordability and prices for even the CT scan there (said as an USA-ian)

I'm a full time wheelchair user.Thanks heaps for letting able bodied people understand what it's like with the challenges we face everyday being in a wheelchair. People would never understand till they face it themselves 🥰🙏

A blind YouTube person I follow (Molly Burke) had gone to Japan and she was blown away on how accessible it was for her! Thank you for sharing your experience but I don't think many people share on YouTube insights to what is like if are in a wheelchair. Sending you continued healing from Minnesota😺

My wife uses a power wheelchair do to a car accident in 1982, we are going to Japan this coming September 2024 coming by cruise ship. we have been planning this trip for a while and had to learn that Japan uses the term slop in stead of ramp, thanks for the WheeLog info that is something we had not heard about.

28:01 the ”feeling like an outsider in conversations” is so real. I’ve been in the wheelchair for 3 years and I thought I was the only one who felt like that :’D My mom is my main caretaker, and I’m always sitting there like🧑‍🦽, facing the wrong direction or a wall while she’s having a convo with someone else and it’s so akward to look back or crane my neck so I just act like I’m not there lmao, it also ”helps” that I don’t really get addressed since people mainly only talk to my mom instead of me 🗿 Thank you so much for this video, It’s going to be really helpful for wheelchair users who are interested in traveling to Japan 💖🐁 I was actually wondering about this exact topic last month and this video answered a lot of my question

If I'm not wrong one of the three sinks for the disabled bathrooms is for those that have a colostomy bag

As someone who is legally blind, I will say that the train station support is godly. The guidance is amazing. The only issue is that sometimes it takes some times to get everything planned so you don't always know how long you'll be spending in the train stations. But hey if you're not in a hurry at least it's very stress free. Keep in mind that staff getting down on your level isn't just for when you're disabled, they will always do that when they need to talk to a client who is sitting. You can see this happen in airport too. And other places. The stations themselves don't always feel like the most accessible place though.

27:30 "It's very important to get consent... for any kind of wheelchair stuff" 😂😂