Courtesy: Rihito Karube | News Source: asahi.com

To assist a higher number of visitors with disabilities expected to visit Japan for the Olympics and Paralympics, the Tokyo metropolitan government is creating a website showing “barrier-free” facilities in the capital such as hotels and restaurants.

Tokyo intends to have the site featuring maps up and running within this fiscal year.

Knowing if hotels have universal design rooms that allow wheelchair access is essential for people with disabilities to choose convenient accommodations.

As of March 2018, Tokyo had about 2,000 hotels and Japanese-style ryokan inns, according to the metropolitan government.

But there are almost no websites that introduce detailed information about barrier-free accommodations.

The metropolitan government contracted the Japan Association of Travel Agents to assess how facilities in Tokyo currently measure up for handling the needs of people with disabilities.

The organization collected data on the width of bathroom entrances, floor level differences and if they offer parking spaces for vehicles for the disabled.

The site will also feature barrier-free information about parks, train stations, theater venues and other facilities.

Some private companies have websites with barrier-free maps, but the metropolitan government will open map data to encourage private companies to develop new apps and services around them.

A metropolitan government official said the city wants the legacy of the Tokyo Olympics to include “making the city convenient to live in for residents as well as visitors.”