Tokyo 2020: IPC praises hotel accessibility plan

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has praised a proposal put forward by the Japanese government to increase the number of accessible hotel rooms in the country.

Under plans announced in June, the Japanese government is aiming to amend the Cabinet Order to ensure that as standard, at least one per cent of guest rooms be fully accessible to wheelchair users.

At present, the current standard requires hotels which have 50 or more guest rooms to make just one room accessible regardless of the total number of guest rooms.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “The IPC strongly applauds the efforts of the Japanese government to revise the standard concerning the number of accessible hotel guest rooms. It is a really positive step forward.

“Improving the standard to require hotels to make at least one per cent of guest rooms accessible for wheelchair users, is not just a measure related to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, but a measure that will benefit Japan’s ageing population and tourism for generations to come.

“Improving the accessibility of guest rooms in Japan’s hotels can be a real tangible legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and I hope that the amendment of the Cabinet Order, which is necessary to revise the standard, will be carried out as soon as possible.”