
Group Description
Looking to travel to Japan and need accessibility information? Join our group discussion on accessible travel in Japan and discover the best tips and tricks.
The Japan group is a community of travelers who are passionate about exploring Japan and sharing their experiences with others. This group is dedicated to discussing all aspects of accessible travel in Japan, including accommodations, transportation, tourist attractions, and cultural experiences, as well as links to accessible travel companies and organizations.
Whether you have been here a million times or planning your first visit, the Japan group is a welcoming community that offers support and encouragement for travelers of all abilities. By sharing their experiences and knowledge, members of the group are helping to make travel in Japan more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Reply To: Power Wheelchair Rental within 2-3 weeks?
Latest (final?) update:
I had a meeting with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism and ANA (the airline).
The airline took the issue very seriously. In fact, it was taken to the president.
While I cannot describe details (they shared a breakdown of the communication timeline in the case etc), there was a communication problem (an unacceptable delay), as well as an education issue (the person relaying the information should have had realized it was incorrect and not just passed it on but confirmed and clarified as well as knowing it was not correct policy).
To fix it, they are revising the communication policy (to avoid delays), and are re-training staff on accessibility (airline-wide) and the ADA (State-side).
They will communicating with Alex about compensation etc (perhaps @AlexFung can comment/follow up on this?)
Separately, I brought up that JAL also listed a 100kg-limit for wheelchairs on their website. Their intention was to say that “there may be occasions depending on plane size”, but the language was very unclear and made it sound like it was the rule and not the exception and the Ministry requested they fix the wording.
While the whole process really sucked for Alex, thankfully the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism took action and the airlines are making changes.