社説:視覚障害と社会 無関心という罪の重さ

September 22, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Harassment of visually-impaired people shameful
社説:視覚障害と社会　無関心という罪の重さ

A girl at a high school for visually-impaired students in Saitama Prefecture suffered serious injuries that are expected to take three weeks to heal after being kicked in the leg by a man from behind at a train station on Sept. 8.
　埼玉県内の盲学校に通う高等部の女子生徒が今月８日、ＪＲの駅構内で何者かに背後から強く足を蹴られ、全治３週間のけがをする事件があった。

The victim, who is completely blind, was using a white stick and walking on Braille blocks at the time of the incident. 生徒は全盲のため白杖（はくじょう）をつき、点字ブロック上を歩いていた。

She obviously not only suffered physical pain but also was horrified.
突然の暴力に遭遇した生徒は痛みだけでなく、恐怖も大きかっただろう。
   
Based on testimonies provided by eyewitnesses as well as other information, police are questioning a man in his 40s, who is intellectually handicapped, as a suspect on a voluntary basis. Police should thoroughly get to the bottom of the incident.
　警察は目撃情報などから、知的障害のある４０代の男を容疑者として任意で取り調べている。捜査を尽くしてもらいたい。

The latest case has highlighted how many obstacles visually-impaired people face when they walk outside.
　視覚障害者が外を歩くのに、いかに障壁が多いか。今回の事件をきっかけに浮き彫りになったことだ。

An organization representing visually-impaired people says it is a daily occurrence that such people have their white sticks broken after colliding with other people or objects, or they are subjected to verbal abuse.
　視覚障害者団体によると、人や物とぶつかって白杖が折れたり、暴言を浴びたりといったことが日常茶飯事だという。

In April this year, a blind woman who was sitting on a bench at a supermarket in Kobe suffered a broken bone in her face after being hit by a man who stumbled over her leg.
神戸市では今年４月、白杖を手にスーパーの通路のいすに座っていた全盲女性が、足につまずいた男に殴られ顔面を骨折した。

The man under arrest over the case was quoted as telling investigators, "I was furious after stumbling over her leg."
逮捕された男は「女性の足に引っかかり腹が立った」と供述したという。

For what purpose are there white sticks and Braille blocks?
　白杖や点字ブロックは何のためにあるのか。

While there are growing calls for achieving a society in which people with and without handicaps can coexist, there are too many people who do not pay attention to difficulties that visually-impaired people are facing in society.
健常者と障害者が共生する社会の実現が長く言われながら、関心のない人があまりに多い。

The Road Traffic Act requires visually-impaired people to carry a white or yellow stick or be accompanied by a guide dog when they walk along roads.
　道路交通法のきまりで、視覚障害者が道路を歩く時はつえをつくか盲導犬を連れなければならない。

Their sticks are not just tools but also a kind of life rope that serve as their eyes or legs.
つえの色は白か黄色と決まっている。つえは単なる道具ではなく、視覚障害者の目や足の代わりとなる命綱だ。

Braille blocks are plates with projections that visually-impaired people can sense with the bottoms of their feet.
　点字ブロックは、視覚障害者が足の裏の触感覚で認識できるよう突起をつけたプレートだ。

Local governments across the country are pressing forward with the installation of Braille blocks on sidewalks, at railway stations and other public places in accordance with their respective ordinances.
各自治体が条例に基づいて歩道や駅、公共施設などで設置を進めている。

Braille blocks were invented in Japan in 1965.
　点字ブロックは１９６５年に日本で考案された。

Such blocks were first laid in Okayama Prefecture, and have since spread to over 150 countries.
岡山県内に世界で初めて設置され、今では世界１５０カ国以上に普及している。

Despite the history of Braille blocks, people frequently park their cars or bicycles on the blocks or lay their baggage on them. Many pedestrians are indifferent to Braille blocks.
そんな歴史がありながら、その有用性が社会に浸透しているとはとても言えない。
　点字ブロック上への駐車や駐輪は日常的で、物も置かれる。多くの歩行者も点字ブロックの存在に無関心だ。

It is easy to imagine that if pedestrians operate their smartphones while walking, they may overlook and bump into visually-impaired people with sticks.
歩きながらスマートフォンを操作していれば、つえをつく視覚障害者に気付かず、ぶつかる危険が高いことは容易に想像がつく。

Relevant legislation has gradually come into force and society is becoming increasingly barrier-free.
　法律が徐々に整備され、社会のバリアフリー化が進む。

Slopes and restrooms for handicapped people have been set up at a growing number of railway stations and other public spaces.
スロープや障害者対応トイレが駅や公共の場所で増えている。

Still, one cannot help but wonder whether people are sufficiently aware of these efforts to improve facilities for handicapped people.
だが、そうした施設の整備に人の心が追いついているだろうか。そんな疑問が湧いてくる。

Concerns remain over people failing to keep in mind that they should pay close attention to handicapped people on streets to see if they face any potential danger and extend a helping hand to those in trouble -- which is no more than basic common sense.
　障害者と街で出会えば、危険な目にあいそうにないか目配りをする。困っていれば手を差し伸べる−−。学校や家庭の教育を通じて身についているはずの常識が、どこかですっぽりと抜け落ちていないか心配だ。
　障害者の立場を思いやることが大切だ。私たち一人一人の振る舞いが問われている。

毎日新聞　2014年09月22日　02時31分