2 Severely Disabled Candidates Win Upper House Seats

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)--Two severely disabled candidates of political group Reiwa Shinsengumi won seats in the Japanese House of Councillors election Sunday. One is wheelchair-bound Yasuhiko Funago, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. "I hope people will look closely at me and reconsider what is truly necessary assistance," he said in a prepared message read out by his helper at a news conference Sunday night. Reiwa Shinsengumi leader Taro Yamamoto praised efforts of group members and supporters, saying, "You've made the first move toward building a society that does not let any members measured by productivity." The other candidate is Eiko Kimura with severe disabilities, who also uses a wheelchair. At a news conference in the small hours of Monday, Kimura said she is "looking forward" to experiencing how she would be treated by other lawmakers. Both were elected under a proportional representation special quota system that allows parties to give priority to specific candidates. It will be necessary to improve barrier-free access in and around the parliamentary buildings. END