Tomokazu Takubo
The Accessible Design Foundation of Japan

1-1. Exhibition of Ideas and Innovative Products for the New Normal

The Accessible Design Foundation of Japan has been involved in the planning and operation of one of the organizer’s special projects, “Daily Life Support Products Section” as part of the International Homecare and Rehabilitation (H.C.R.) held every autumn at the Tokyo Big Sight. In 2021, the exhibition focused on masks, which have become indispensable in people's lives during the Corona pandemic. In 2022, the exhibition was titled Did You Know? - Exhibition of Ideas and Innovative Products for the New Normal, highlighting the Corona pandemic.

1-2. Exhibited Products

The exhibited products in 2022 were selected primarily from companies that showcased items with accessibility considerations at H.C.R., based on the results of a questionnaire survey titled Survey of Inconveniences and Needs Regarding the New Lifestyle in the Corona Disaster, conducted with the cooperation of member organizations of the Japan Disability Forum (JDF).

The products were categorized into three groups: Disinfection (related to infection prevention and disinfection), Measurement (related to measurements such as body temperature), and Communication. The exhibited items included non-alcohol disinfectants and wet wipes for individuals who are sensitive to alcohol, portable disinfectants, disinfection dispensers that can be operated with hands or feet, non-contact thermometers that notify temperature readings through vibrations, thermometers with LCD panels that change color based on temperature readings, non-contact dispensers capable of both disinfection and temperature measurement, transparent partitions with high transparency and low sound insulation, footstep marks for clear distancing indicators between individuals, finger-pointing sheets with ear marks to be placed on checkout counters in convenience stores, badges for individuals unable to wear masks to indicate their intentions, and transparent masks that allow visibility of the mouth.

Panels explaining each section were designed to display social networking sites on smartphones to attract interest in reading them.

1-3. Visitor Impressions and Opinions

Visitors provided feedback and opinions such as "It’s great that there are many disinfection products and options to meet various needs,” "It is convenient to have a quick measurement type for elderly individuals who dislike temperature checks," and "There is a demand for devices that convert spoken words into text." The exhibition provided an opportunity to explore new numerous products and ideas that could continue to be utilized in daily life even after the end of the Corona pandemic.

2. Survey on Inconveniences and Needs Regarding New Lifestyles During the Corona Disaster

The exhibition we introduced is based on the cooperation of JDF member organizations and includes over 4,000 comments from 356 individuals with disabilities, such as total blindness, low vision, deafness, hard of hearing, deaf-blindness, upper limb impairments, lower limb impairments, upper and lower limb impairments, Parkinson's disease, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental disabilities, and dementia. These concerns were regarding inconveniences, conveniences, and desired equipment and other things during the Corona disaster.

Next, we will introduce some of the responses according to specific situations.

2-1. Shopping

① Inconveniences: "It’s hard to find the foot markers that indicate where to line up for the cash register," "I cannot understand what the store staff is saying because they wear masks as a measure against COVID-19 (deaf)."
② Positive experiences: "The supermarket staff accompanies me politely and cheerfully (blind)," "I feel reassured because many stores have placed hand sanitizers at their entrances (mental disabilities)."
③ Desirable improvements: "It would be great to have a communication sheet for indicating phrases like 'Do you have a card?' Using gestures (deaf)."

2-2. Transportation

① Inconveniences: "There are fewer people who provide assistance and guidance(blind)," "I feel anxious about touching and holding on to hand straps and poles while riding the trains(mental disabilities)."
② Positive experiences: "Station staff and people around me speak to me and provide assistance (blind)."
③ Desirable improvements: "It would be great to have train drivers who can communicate using sign language (deaf)," "I would feel safe if the train had the windows open for ventilation (developmental disabilities)."

2-3. Work and Study

① Inconveniences: "I cannot understand the content of online meetings with multiple participants (deaf)," "Online meetings are not always accessible and are challenging to operate (low vision)."
② Positive experiences:
"I appreciate being able to communicate through written conversation (deaf)," "Pre-distribution of meeting materials in text format is helpful(blind)."
③ Desirable improvements: "I would be delighted if there were provision for sign language interpretation and captions (hard of hearing)," "I would like a service where I can search for the available accommodations (low vision)."

2-4. Information Acquisition and Communication

① Inconveniences: "There is limited information provided in text (deaf)," "As tactile sign language is used, I find it troublesome to disinfect things each time (deaf-blind)."
② Positive experiences: "After learning how to use Zoom, I can now participate in symposiums and similar events (blind)."
③ Desirable improvements: "It would be better if there were improved accessibility on various websites (blind)," "I would be happy if live broadcasts included sign language interpretation (deaf)."

Moving forward, we plan to summarize this survey's current situation and challenges and propose solutions.

3. Survey on Inconveniences and Needs Regarding New Lifestyles During the Corona Disaster in 15 Asian Countries

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the adoption of new lifestyles not only in Japan but also in various countries around the world. The Accessible Design Foundation of Japan conducted a survey to investigate the situation in 15 Asian countries, in addition to the domestic survey.The survey was conducted in collaboration with disability organizations in each Asian country, with the assistance of Professor Ryuhei Sano from Hosei University, who has extensive connections with these organizations.
The survey was carried out through written questionnaires and online interviews with individuals with disabilities, their families, and experts. The survey revealed the following six key points:

①Equipment used for infection prevention should be clearly indicated and made understandable for individuals with disabilities and elderly people in terms of their location and usage.
② Rules related to infection prevention, such as maintaining distance between people should be modified to enable individuals with disabilities and elderly people to follow them.
③ Measures should be implemented to prevent the transmission of viruses through devices and equipment that are touched by multiple individuals.
④ Various information should be provided in a format that can be understood by individuals with disabilities and elderly people.
⑤ Various services, including personal interactions should be tailored to meet the needs of the targeted individuals with disabilities and elderly people.
⑥ When alternative methods are adopted for gatherings that are difficult to conduct using conventional means due to the spread of infections (e.g. meetings → online conferences), they should be organized in formats accessible to individuals with disabilities and elderly people.

Summary:

The Accessible Design Foundation of Japan, to which I belong, has been conducting surveys on inconveniences in daily life since the time of its predecessor, the E&C Project (1991-1999). Since 2013, we have also been conducting surveys on positive aspects. In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the needs of individuals with disabilities and introduced relevant products at the exhibition. Going forward, we plan to document the identified challenges and their solutions, with the aim of providing references for similar situations in the future.

Overall booth view