Hello, students from all around the world! I teach barrier-free (accessible) design classes to elementary and middle school students in Japan. I’m writing this article to share information about barrier-free practices in Japan with you. I hope this information about Japanese barrier-free design will inspire you to think about accessibility in your own country!
Quiz Time!
What do we call a bus that’s designed for easy access, with a low floor and almost no step at the entrance?
Think about it for a moment…
Ready for the answer?
Answer
A Non-Step Bus (or Low-Floor Bus)
Image source: Sungrove Co., Ltd. website (https://www.sungrove.co.jp/universal-design/)
What’s Special About Non-Step Buses?
Non-step buses are designed to be easy for everyone to use. Compared to regular buses, they have these special features:
- The floor is very low
- There’s almost no step at the entrance
- People in wheelchairs can easily get on
- Older people can get on and off easily
- People with strollers don’t have trouble
These buses are made with the idea of “Universal Design.” Universal Design means creating things that everyone can use easily.
Why Do We Need Non-Step Buses?
Our cities are home to all kinds of people. There are people who use wheelchairs, older people, parents with small children, and many others. It’s important that everyone can enjoy going out equally.
Regular buses often have high steps that make it hard for some people to get on. But with non-step buses, almost everyone can get on and off easily. This makes it easier for everyone to go out and enjoy life more.
Barrier-Free Buses Around the World
Many countries besides Japan are working on making buses that everyone can use easily. For example:
- In the United States, they have “low-floor buses”
- In many European countries, buses that are easy for wheelchair users to board are common
- Australia is also improving its public transportation to be more accessible
The names and exact designs might be a bit different in each country, but the idea of making buses that everyone can use easily is spreading all over the world.
What We Can Do
To create a barrier-free society, there are many things we can do:
- Be considerate: Pay attention to people around you and help if someone is having trouble
- Use barrier-free facilities carefully: Take good care of things like non-step buses and accessible toilets that everyone uses
- Understand and accept differences: Understand that everyone is different and respect each other
- Learn and talk about barrier-free design: Discuss the importance of accessibility with your school and family
Barrier-Free Explorers
There might be buses like non-step buses in your city too! Next time you go out, look closely at the buses. If you find a bus with a low floor and almost no step at the entrance, it might be a non-step bus.
Also, try to find other barrier-free features like ramps or voice guidance systems. Think about how these things help people in their daily lives.
Every time you find a barrier-free design, you’ll see that our society is becoming kinder and easier for everyone to live in.
An Important Message
This article is based on experiences and ideas from Japan. Barrier-free approaches and ideas might be different in other countries and cultures. Talk with your family and teachers about how things are in your country. Let’s think about creating a world where everyone can live comfortably while respecting our differences.
This article is meant to get you interested in barrier-free design, so some explanations have been simplified. For accurate information, please check the websites of official organizations in your country that deal with accessibility.
If you have any questions, you can contact us at: https://lahainars.com/contact/
Please note that I’m not very good at English, so if you contact us, please use simple and short English sentences.
コメント