April 21, 2024 is the Zenpukuji Fureai Festival
April 21, 2024 is the Zenpukuji Fureai Festival.
JASTA will be in charge of the prosthetic leg experience corner.
The prosthetic leg walking experience is a very important event for understanding and promoting standing tennis.
Thank you for inviting us.
We have had a relationship with the Zenpukuji Park Tennis Club since the days of the Kanto Disabled Tennis Association (KDTA).
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[Through the Zenpukuji Fureai Festival 2023 - Standing Tennis Prosthetic Leg Experience Event]
More children than ever before experienced wearing a prosthetic leg.
The line for the prosthetic leg experience never ended.
While waiting, I had them hold my spare transfemoral prosthesis so they could learn how heavy it is, and I showed them how the prosthetic joint moves.
The children were very interested in the prosthetic legs.
The children asked me many questions.
"Why don't you have a leg?"
"Are there people who don't have both legs?"
"Are there people who don't have hands?"
"Are there people who don't have fingers?"
I carefully answered and explained to each child who asked a question.
Understanding people with physical disabilities is not something taught in school.
Having children take an interest in people with physical disabilities through casual event interactions leads to a better understanding of physical disabilities.
Most of the children who participated in this prosthetic leg experience event had likely never interacted with a person with a disability before.
They learned that there are people in the world with various disabilities.
I hope to continue sharing opportunities for people to learn about those with physical disabilities through prosthetic leg experience events, lectures on understanding disabilities, and standing tennis promotion activities.
By the way, at the Zenpukuji Fureai Festival 2023 prosthetic leg experience event, there were several children who enjoyed the experience so much that they did it three times.
We learned a lot this time.
Thank you to the Zenpukuji Park Tennis Club and everyone who participated.
Thank you to the Tetsudo Kosaikai Prosthetic and Orthotic Support Center for preparing the prosthetic legs for the experience.
The Japan Association of Standing Tennis for the Disabled (JASTA) aims for a society where everyone can live together through tennis.
Representative, Japan Association of Standing Tennis for the Disabled (JASTA)
Ken Shibutani