Accessibility in the world / ASIA

Just my travel impression. Different big cities and villages. Not so seriously. Please read easygoing.

Bangladesh 2004	Flat lands. Easy to move around by wheelchair. Not so many taxi. Main traffic is rikishaw, tricycle pulled by human or some baby taxi. Cheapest traffic is ship or boat. Town are so noisy, crowded, and smelly. People, car, rikishaw, animal, pee, shit, stall, shop, beggar, all mixed. Real Chaos. I never seen any accessible toilet. Above all, very rare western toilet.
Cambodia 1999	Airport no aisle chair, no accessible toilet, no bridge. Charter taxi is the best way to see around. I used a speed boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap without accessibility. Porter carried me. Normally, shops are only on ground floor. Easy to enter. Road condition were too bad. Very bumpy. Sometime muddy. No accessible toilet.
China 1997, 2001, 2004 2005, 2006, 2008 2010	Many bicycle = accessible road ( flat, smooth, non step ). Generally, not good accessibility. Not kind for disability. Many discrimination and prejudice. No aisle chair at some airport. Not many bridge at airport. Do not allow passengers to use their wheelchair before boarding. Sometimes airline deny disabled passengers traveling alone. Too bad. Concerning about train, many people, many stairs, big step, and no rule and manner. Using a train in China is the most tough in the world train. Train workers are luck of helping passengers include with disabled. They did not any help. New super express trains like Japanese one now run through big cities. The train are accessible, but no wheelchair seats and no lifts at stations. Taxi are cheap and charge correctly. Impossible to use a local bus because of so many people and no manner. But walking around is very comfortable because of a lot of bicycle and bicycle road. I had a flat tire of my wheelchair 3 times by bad road. Many bicycle repair shops on road. Some wheelchair toilet in public but a few. Also western toilet are rare in country side. Smelly and dirty are also China toilet problem. About airplane, it was so tough to use by wheelchair only. They did not understand why I came by myself and had bad attitude openly. I visited Shanghai Expo in 2010. All the metro station have elevators, but many were broken or locked. Some can be used if we call a train worker. Many many fake wheelchair in Expo because of priority lane.
Hong Kong 1999, 2000, 2001 2003, 2004, 2009 2010	Accessibility is developing and changing better. They made some equipment, but not useful. Airport is perfect. Express train to downtown are well accessible. Some of subway station are accessible. Taxi are cheap and clear to pay. Speed boats to Macau are wheelchair accessible. Star Ferry is now accessible. Difficult to walk in town by wheelchair because of a lot of people and narrow side walk. So many steps on road and stairs at building. Some wheelchair toilet exist in public space and new buildings.
India 2006, 2008	Not good accessibility at airport. Trains are the best for travelers include wheelchair. Many ramp at railway station for baggage. Every train has an disabled seat. Sick people and dead body also use it. It had better use 2nd class sleeper. Keep the under bed. Very good railway system in India. Chartered taxi is also very cheap. Train is better than inter city bus because of no accessibility. Local bus is difficult to use for wheelchairs. We can see many people with disability in town. They work and beg and live together. Watch out animal shit on road. Big problem is toilet. No accessible toilet and few western toilet. Do it at hotel. Also be care about bad sanitation.
Indonesia 2007, 2009	Very bad road condition. Bumpy, narrow, dirty and many traffic. Bali island Kuta beach has a nice paved walking road. Bali island Ubud is hilly not good for wheelchairs. I have never seen person with disabilities in town. Jakarta new transportation system " Bas lane " is good. Many stations are accessible for wheelchair and non-step to buses.
Japan 1973 - 2010	My home country. Good accessible equipment, but not good heart barrier free. Only focus on facility. It tend to be deluxe and high cost. People think that disability is special difference and need divided equipment and service. I hope more natural and simple accessibility. Some local tour is possible for wheelchair users if they can walk. It means transfer from wheelchair to seat on bus. Generally, elder wheelchair person hire an accessible taxi with lift from their house or each destination. But the price is high and the number is limited. information and no English. Today public transportation became accessible, especially train. Some non-step bus exist, but the operation are not good.
Kazakhstan 2005	No bridge and no go up and down car for wheelchair at Almaty airport. A wheelchair toilet existed at airport but it was used as worker's storage. Need to speak and read Russian. People do not speak English. Many steps on road. Difficult to walk by wheelchair. The number of western toilet is increasing now as same as economy is up.
Korea 1994, 2010	I was discriminated at my first visit in 1994. Not kind for person with disability. Train workers did not help anything. Many taxi driver refused me to get in. Wheelchair toilet existed in public space, but all were locked. Many stairs in town. Some people ignored me when I called for help. But 16 years later, the society was completely changed. They think accessibility is important. Many stations of Seoul Metro with elevator. Some non-step bus. Wheelchair coach of express train. New airport train is really accessible. Hotel is still problem, but many cheep motel around night area. I was so happy to feel Korea's change.
Kyrgyz 2005	No western toilet is problem. I have never seen western toilet except hotel. Many stairs at airport. Medical service helped and carried me. Mini bus are not easy to use if no Russian language. Very bad road condition. So bumpy.
Laos 2008	Almost nothing care about disabled people and wheelchair. Vientiane airport building was build by Japanese government support, so Japanese style accessibility there. Only helped by hand. Many western toilet in tourist area, but no accessible toilet there.
Lebanon 2000	Westernized country not like middle east. Quite different neighbor Syria and Jordan. Accessibility was developed. Many wheelchair in town. Many western toilet. Beirut is hilly, so it is not easy to move around by wheelchair. Use a taxi.
Macau 1999, 2000, 2010	Not good. Hong Kong is much better. Macau accessibility is like mainland China. Speed boat to Hong Kong is accessible, but not perfect. Many barrier outside. Difficult to walk by wheelchair on street. Taxi is only choice, but some drivers are not kind and extra fee for wheelchair.
Malaysia 1995, 2009	Not so good. The bad road condition. Impossible to walk on side walk. Mono rail is not accessible, but new LRT is accessible. Using taxi is only way to move. Many overpass and no signal in downtown. It is not kind for wheelchair and difficult to move around. Economy AIR ASIA hub airport has no bridge to air craft but they have a lift for wheelchair if you book before.
Myanmar 1999	Nothing about accessibility, but a lot hospitality and kindness. They helped me without calling for help. Many road are not paved. Just Do not travel in rainy season. I used a bicycle taxi and a carriage taxi in country side. No bridge and wheelchair at airport.
Nepal 2005	The capital Kathmandu is the toughest city to move around by wheelchair. Many cars and people on street. The roads are bad and tiny. Use a toilet at hotel. Not many western toilet. No equipment at airport. I have never seen any accessibility in Nepal.
Philippines 1996, 2005	Japanese government official development assistance support to build Cebu airport. The accessibility is the same as Japan. It was too deluxe. Many traffic in city center. Normally toilet is westernized. Many ramp in town. They know its importance. Not bad accessibility.
Singapore 1995, 2008, 2009	My first visit was bad accessibility. But now their thinking is changed. All the Metro station have elevators and accessible route. Few non-step buses. Old buildings have no accessibility, but new building and shop have ramp, toilet, and some equipment. People are not so kind because of a big city.
Sri Lanka 2004	No idea of accessibility. I was asked " What do you ride on ? " many times on street. I always answered " This is wheelchair ". They did not understand that I could not walk. It means no people with disability in town. They are isolated. Only few disabled beggar in town.
Syria 2000	Few western toilet. Only Arabic style. It was tough. Also do not forget bringing a paper. Arabic people use a water to clean their hips. Not accessible but people are very kind. Everybody helped me. Service (shared) taxi is good for wheelchair travelers. Keep the front seat.
Taiwan 2000, 2008	Their accessibility model is USA and Japan. Both style were imported. Metro are great accessibility. Express train are also good accessible design. Some restaurant and shops have steps but many road are curb cut. There are many many four wheel motorbike. I have never seen such kind of motor bike any other counties. So unique ideas. Also many parking place for disabled motorbikers.
Thailand 1999, 2004, 2005 2006	Accessibility is rapidly spread. Bangkok airport is good accessibility. Taxi is very cheap. Train is not accessible. Bangkok subway is accessible like Japan, but need a staff help to use locked elevator. BTS (sky train) is not accessible. Not easy to go around in Bangkok because too much traffic. Many stairs in front of buildings and shops. Developing now.
Tajikistan 2005	Economy is still under development. Isolated country. Road was bad. No western toilet. Taxi and shared taxi are main traffic.
UAE 2008	Many modern new building in developing city Dubai. All buildings are accessible like Australia and USA. Arab people are also kind. They do not have a sense of disabled discrimination. No problem for wheelchair to travel, but the temperature is problem. Very hot outside.
Uzbekistan 2005	No accessibility. I have never seen any accessible equipment. Use a human power. Deep rump for baggage in many building. It is good for wheelchair. Road made by Soviet Union is so wide and big. Walking around by wheelchair is easy. Russian language is also problem.
Vietnam 1997	Do not use walking road because of big gap. Walk on a road with car and bike. Like China, many bicycle or motorbike in Vietnam. It means good for wheelchair. No accessibility. I have never seen accessible toilet. You can hire a local helper. It cost very cheap.
Yemen 2000	Welcome to Arabian night world. No accessibility but well heart barrier free. People are very kind. No problem to travel. However toilet is problem. Western toilet is rare. Only Arabic style. Some wheelchair people in town. Use shared taxi from town to town.