"There are more things I can do by myself here," a Japanese student in a wheelchair enjoys her independence in Melbourne

Melbourne based Japanese student Mina Mori

Mina Mori, a Melbourne-based Japanese student, decided to come to Australia to see its more accessible environment firsthand Credit: Mina Mori

"I knew that it's more accessible in Australia so, instead, I was more worried about my English," Mina Mori, a Japanese student in a wheelchair, said.


Ms Mori started struggling to walk when she was ten years old. The cause of the disability is yet unknown. She uses a wheelchair only when she goes out.

Ms Mori has been interested in travelling abroad but her disability made it a bit too difficult.

"I turn thirty next year. So I decided to come to Australia to study English for a year, as my final challenge in my twenties," Ms Mori said.

"I quit my job in Japan to come here. I worked there for 11 years. It was a very big decision for me."
On the third day since her arrival at Melbourne, Ms Mori got stuck on a tram line on her way to the English school. A string from her backpack got wrapped around one of the tyres and she couldn't move her wheelchair at all.

"My friend at the school found me stuck first. But we couldn't move the wheelchair. Then seven or eight people at the tram stop came to rescue me. I was surprised that so many people tried to help me," Ms Mori recalls.

"Seeing people there help me, gave me confidence and trust. I felt assured that I will be fine in this city."

Ms Mori says that, in Melbourne, it's easier for her to go out and about, and she found there are more things she can do by herself too.

Ms Mori hopes to learn as much as she can during her stay and to use her experience to enhance more accessibility in Japan.
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A Japanese student in a wheelchair enjoys her independence in Melbourne | SBS Japanese