When I was studying ableism in college I believe the US, Canada, and England had the best disability accessibility in the world. Asian countries generally didn't rank to high on the list. Bare in mind that it is not just about wheel chairs ramps and handicapped spaces. It also includes things like beeping cross walks for the blind, handicap bathrooms, weather they accommodate service animals, the type of money they use (coins are better than paper money because you can tell the amount tactility), even how much kindness/respect the disabled receive.

@ariana_reynolds

9 жыл бұрын

That's interesting! I didn't know that about the coins/money

@AlyssaTaylor9

9 жыл бұрын

That's really interesting, I can't imagine someone not allowing a service animal.

@AlyssaTaylor9

9 жыл бұрын

Cats4Ever Another one of my kind. Meow.

@HeavenlyValo

8 жыл бұрын

Wow I live in the US and if this is so much better than I hate to see what other countries are like for the disabled. I have to use a walker and you'd be surprised how much discrimination and crappy attitudes exist. There are discrimination laws but in my experience those laws are tough to enforce. I had an employer discriminate against me fore being physically disabled but since proving is nearly impossible, it might as well be legal.

@undetestable1

8 жыл бұрын

HeavenlyValo Saying the US is disability friendly is a bit of an oversimplification. For someone who is disabled reality doesnt always meet up with statistics. I cant go into extensive detail about the other places I mentioned but since both live and studied in the US I can expound a bit more. The US is massive compared to most countries so for many people its not so much the country they live in as much as it is the state (or even the city). But the US does have the anti-discrimination laws you mentioned which are difficult to enforce but do show an effort that many other countries dont bother with. As well as disability benefits and subsidies for companies that do hire the disabled (bare in mind this includes people with autism and other similar non physical disabilities). Most states also have rules about public buildings being wheelchair accessible in some form. On the other hand the US health care system is a nightmare compared to much of Europe which does not stand well for people who's disabilities put them in frequent need of health care, especially mental health. Public schools have the IEP for children with disabilities that effect their ability to learn.But again as bad as it may be its not nearly as bad as it is in some other countries (Asia has a long way to go). There are also just a shit ton of US based non-profits and/or advocacy groups for just about every disability in the book. Now the attitudes towards the disabled is a difficult thing to measure, i which i was still in school, it would have been a interesting to research. I like to think that ableism, isnt an inherit part of american culture (as it is in other places in the world) rather the issues are born from lack of knowledge. The US was one of the first places where the disability rights movement saw successes. We even had a disabled president (although he did hide this from the public so perhaps thats a poor example) I dont know maybe i am being to much of an optimist.

when i was in Kuawit, i noticed that the signs for handicapped parking says: "if you take my park, then take my disability with it". strong message!

What's disabled accessibility like in Korea? How wheelchair friendly is it here? We'll talk about all this and more for this week's TL;DR!

@namirlokis16

9 жыл бұрын

I went to Korea as tourist and I had the chance to meet you guys, I'm not sure if you remember me because it was about a year and half ago. As a tourist I have to say that Seoul was surprisingly accessible, I had no problem what so ever, specially in terms of transportation. I had been to New York before and I found Seoul much more accessible, and I felt really comfortable, to the point we are planing to visit Korea again. I live in Puerto Rico, and here the life of people like me is really hard, there's no bus or subway, I have to own my car with a ramp and if it breaks down, I have to stay home. As for the buildings, well everything here has some historic importance, so everything is pretty much unaccessible. I'll be moving to the US because of this matter and I hope I'll be able to find a great place to live. Ps. Back then I was so happy and thankful for being able to meet you guys, you were so nice and I'll always cherish that memory! You guys are awesome people!

@bang10snyndn27

9 жыл бұрын

In Ginza the subways are not good for wheelchairs and old people as it has limited escalators to go up and down the subways, mostly it's filled with stairs and long walking! Well I haven't been all over Ginza but just to be clear I am talking about subways in Tokyo Metropolitan!! Everytime I go home to Japan and try to use the train to go home to Tsukijishijo, i would give up dragging my heavy luggage and take the taxi! Well if you ask why not take the taxi in the first place, it's expensive!! From Narita I take a Limousine Bus to Tokyo Station then from there if i am brave enough i will take the subway, if i feel lazy i'll take the taxi!! If you are super adventurous like i was when i first came to Japan take the train from Narita (if you have heavy luggages, goodluck to you and the super complicated train lines) *whispers* Tokyo Train Navi App is your best friend ...

@sarahnagorney8116

9 жыл бұрын

I'm fro Kansas City, Ks and even though it is VERY accessible here for handicapped people and wheelchairs, there are always those assholes who park where they shouldn't,,, unless my gma caught them then watch out. We do have what they call mothers-to-be parking at malls, dept stores, etc. But since anyone can park there they r usually full. I've even seen men come out and get in their cars, they obviously aren't pregnant but what can u do!!

@KeetandeH

9 жыл бұрын

In Stockholm Sweden there is a pretty good accessibility. There are elevators to every subway station, however there aren't any designated area in the actual subway for people that are bound to wheelchairs. The buses on the other hand are kinda a bit of both. The older buses aren't as accessible because they have pretty steep stairs into the bus. The newer buses however have both space for people with wheelchairs and a ramp for them in to the bus. But if you have a bigger wheelchair or doesn't feel like taking the bus there is also something called "färdtjänst" which is a way of transportation designed by the government where a bigger taxi comes and drives you to wherever you want. I could go on forever but I'm gonna stop there

@thepigcupid7377

9 жыл бұрын

I live in the US, and in my state we have these train/trolley type things that run in the capitol and a couple cities around that as well as a train that spans a good 15 cities. But they have a button with the blue handicapped symbol near the doors, and if you're in a wheelchair or have a stroller and press it, a ramp will extend from the door and stop over the platform. Not that there is much of a gap in the first place, but still a very nice innovation~

Wheelchair accessibility here in Singapore is really awesome. In the recent years, almost every bus will have a flatform for the wheelchair bounded people to board and they have a specific area on the bus just for them so when they need to get off, they have a special button they press and it will have a different sound to alert the bus drivers that they need to get off. Not only that, every bus driver I seen is super friendly and hospitable when they need to help them board/get off and will always give the priority to board. Generally, people here also accept the fact that they need help and would usually give them priority to board on subways etc.

English subs are now up, if you need em!

@oakleylee2362

9 жыл бұрын

Love the subtitles. Thank you for taking the time to add subtitles. Accessibility for the differently-abled isn't limited to just the physically challenged. Thanks again!

@eatyourkimchi

9 жыл бұрын

Leah Oke I'm sorry it takes so long for us to make subtitles! We'd love to have subs on all of our videos, and we try to get them up as fast as we can. If anyone is interested in contributing subs, we'd greatly appreciate the help as well!

As a wheelchair user, thanks for covering this. I don't live in Korea, but any time we can draw attention to accessibility issues, it is a good thing.

i just spent time in Seoul in October, 2014. I have MS for 35 years and use a scooter at home and can walk short distances and do a small amount of steps with my walker or crutches. EVERYONE told me Seoul was not accessible and I should take my manual wheelchair, which I did. Seoul was much more accessible and definitely could have taken a small motorized chair. The cobblestoney sidewalks (as you put it) were difficult with a manual, thankfully I had someone with me to help at the hilly parts. The subway was very accessible, and I didn't notice big gaps at the door. Much more accessible than NYC,USA. I cannot even find elevators or lifts in NYC and when you do, you can't get on NYC subway. NYC buses tho, are very accessible where Seoul buses - well, i never saw an accessible bus there. I mostly used large taxis, very inexpensive and very accommodating with my chair. Every "touristy" place I went was wheelchair accessible. FYI at Seoul Tower, if the taxi shows the wheelchair at the gate, they will allow the taxi to drive you to the top. (they wait for you, so consider the expense, but well worth it) The toilets rated an A++++! The "disability taxi" was not reliable, I called once and they could not give me a time, People in Seoul were so nice and accommodating to me. They could not do enough to help. I loved it there and when I go back i will have a small motorized chair (small so that it can be lifter into a taxi)! Let me reiterate, I can leave my chair, so many places were accessible to me with crutches that would not be to someone who is totally dependent on their chair. i was actually very pleased with accessibility, maybe because I was not expecting much.

@GeronL1

9 жыл бұрын

Simon and Martina mentioned the problem with the "disability taxi", sounded like a real mess

@Dixxi91

9 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed your stay in Seoul :) My friend is in a similar situation with ME, she doesn't travel though, just the flight can be too much for her, and sometimes she has a bad week/weeks so planing something expensive seems like a waste when she suddenly can't go after all... So I'm really glad to hear you can get around and see new stuff ^^ I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you get many more adventures-

So, the EYK crew has the walk four flights of stairs to get to the office. That's a great opportunity for EYK to really burn some calories in between down times. There's this workout called a reverse bear crawl on stairs that's killer on the core and burning calories. It is not for the faint of heart. I shiver at the thought of it cause its so hard.

@eatyourkimchi

9 жыл бұрын

I'm gonna look that up. Thanks!

It's cool to say that in Singapore, lots of places are wheelchair accessible! All our train stations have elevators, a lot of our buses have installed foldable ramps where the bus driver helps them to get up the bus. And they also assigned places for them to park their wheelchair :) Housing estates also have ramps and slopes for them to use to get around :) And also parking slots and toilets in shopping malls :))

In Singapore, Most of our buses now is Wheelchair friendly. Even the double decker bus. The bus doesn't have steps and its wider and bigger to fit wheelchair and people. All the carparks in singapore have a wheelchair slot. But ignorant people with no permit would park there for easy access but its a hefty fine if caught. Most buildings have elevators. Old buildings which do not have are in process of having one. Well singapore is really wheelchair friendly.

I definitely agree with the handicapped parking thing over here. Off topic but Martina's makeup is on point, love her top too!

I visited Seoul in July with my sister, father and grandma who has to use a wheelchair as she cannot walk very far. Because we had a fold up wheelchair for her, we were able to take the normal taxis and fold up the wheelchair put it in the boot of the taxi. Our biggest problem was actually to do with the curbs of the pavement. My grandma had to stand up and get out of the wheelchair because, even on the lowered parts of the curb, we couldn't push the wheelchair up on to the curb. Also we did find one tube station that didn't have a proper lift but did have the platforms that went up the stairs, as talked about in this video. To be able to use these platforms you have to call someone on an intercom and ask them to come and turn on the platforms as you need a key to start it. This was difficult due to the fact that my and my family's Korean isn't very good, but members on the public helped translate what we happening and conveyed what we needed over the intercom for us. Everyone was extremely helpful which meant we could get my grandma out of the subway station.

You'guys are even more awesome because you talk about matters like this. I appreciate you so much!

Here in Minnesota in the USA, the fine for parking without a permit in a handicapped spot is $100-$200. If you're the owner of a business and the handicapped spots for your business' parking are obstructed in any way, you get a warning and 24 hours to remove said obstruction, and after that, it's a fine of $500. What's more, local residents can organize and go through training to enforce these laws and issue citations as civilian enforcement. Full info here: www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=169.346 Perhaps the most severe handicapped parking laws are in Oregon, where your car just gets *towed*. That will kill your whole day right there. If Korea did this, I'm pretty sure the fat cats would stop parking in the handicapped spots. They hate being inconvenienced. I'd love to see car towing as a government-sponsored civil rehabilitation job for paroled gangsters. XD

@faylinameir

9 жыл бұрын

in Omaha,Ne and most of Iowa I've seen the signs says $500 fine if you park there, sadly I rarely see it enforced. What pisses me off is when people are just fat and want a handicap sign, my mom had that -_-

I know this is an old thread now but: It's illegal in America for someone without a handicap parking pass to park in the handicap spot. You will be ticketed and fined anywhere from 500 dollars to 3000 dollars depending on where you are. People keying your car and slashing your tires are the least of your worries, and if you prevent someone who needs that space from using it, they can sue you for it, and contact your insurance company for a settlement and make your rates skyrocket. All public buildings like hospitals, parks, post offices, libraries, ect,. Are required by law to have accessibility ramps at every entrance and at minimum 1 elevator if they have a second floor. It's pretty rare to see any buildings that don't have these features but some very old buildings can't have them installed for whatever reason, in those cases there's almost always been a person there to assist you if you're in a wheelchair who can drive you, or guide your chair up stairs safely and comfortably.

Thanks for this video! I'm in a wheelchair, so it's super helpful to know what countries are accessible. And thanks for everyone commenting too! You all are lovely.

You guys always brighten up my day with your videos! Love you guys!

My wife has had to use a wheelchair since 1983. We have traveled all over the US and Europe. We lived in England for three years and loved it but still had issues with having to go in the back delivery door of some buildings to get in or dealing with people who are not so much rude but just ignore you in the service sector. Spain had probably the worst access issues with many a subway stairs being quite steep and giving my shoulders a work out pulling her up them one step at a time. So let's start with the issue some people have with words such as handicapped or disabled. Neither of these words have bothered my wife except when someone sees her and says something like "Oh. You're in a wheelchair!" . Trust me I think by now she knows that quite well. So calling her handicapped or disabled is just a word like saying the sky is blue or azure. Most people aren't trying to offend her they just don't always know what else to say. But these words have never stopped her from living a normal life. We not only have traveled all over the US and Europe, but a majority of countries in Asia (she is Korean by birth). One of our most memorable experiences was taking her to the top of the Wall of China and seeing all the looks we got when she was wheeling down the stone path. So how is it living in Korea? Well it was really bad when we came back to visit in 1986. There were times when she would have to hide so that we could get a taxi to stop. Most would see her in her chair and speed past us. People on the streets would give her evil looks and wonder why she didn't stay indoors out of public view. The only elevators were is in modern hotels and a few places that had freight elevators we could use. But mostly it was pushing and pulling up and down stairs, curbs, and through people who refused to move. We came back in 1994 and have lived here ever since. We have seen a series of rapid accessibility improvements aligned to events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and the desire to throw off the world view of Korea as being a third world country. While in the major cities we have had very few issues these days. Once you get out of these areas it is a totally different story. Restaurants that only have seating on the floor. No handicapped toilets. Stairs to get to elevators. Sidewalks that are uneven or mostly dirt. But in the four or five major cities you will find plenty of buses that are wheelchair accessible and subways that have elevators or chair lifts. I have not seen any issues with getting on or off the subways for past few years. It has been mandatory for some time that all taxis must stop and pick up people in wheelchairs, bus drivers must stop fully and lower the bus and deploy the ramp while waiting for the person to safely position themselves in the bus. If you see someone not adhering to this you can report them and they will be fined very heavily. There are two areas in Korea that continues to frustrate us. First is the illegal use of other peoples handicapped parking placards to park in handicapped spots. I would wager that over half the cars parked in handicapped spaces are using a relatives placard and otherwise are quite healthy physically (not so much morally). The second issue is elevators in department stores. I can't count the many times I have literally grabbed someone from behind who tries to push their way ahead of my wife to get in the elevator, not to mention even one person getting off an already crowded elevator to let her in while they could walk 5 meters away and take an escalator. So my advice to anyone who is handicapped and wants to visit Korea? Come on over and make the best of it. At times you may be frustrated like trying to go down a sidewalk next to a downtown stream where the previous mayor and city planner decided to plant trees in the middle of the sidewalk that is only two feet wide. But you will survive and have many memorable stories to take home. Hope this long tale helps.

Hi Simon and Martina! Firstly, i want to say a massive thank you on doing a video on disabled access in Korea. I had emailed you guys a while back about the same topic but was very happy when i saw this video in my emails :-) I've been very interested in Korea and the culture for almost two years and at one point, i started googling flight prices! I'm permanently in an electric wheelchair and haven't wanted to go away on holiday so badly until i became interested in South Korea. I googled access and found a site saying that there are no accessible taxi's, subways have lifts and bus's are now having more space and ramps...i think there may have been false info! Your video has been incredibly insightful and i hope that even in 5 years, there is better transport so i can come visit you guys!! :D

"I was set up the bomb." Best line of this video. You guys make my day awesome.

Thank you so much for answering my TL;DR question! My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis before I was born, so I've always been conscientious about handicap accessibility whether it was something as simple as going to a shopping mall, to travelling to Walt Disney World. (I grew up in New Jersey roughly an hour or so from New York City) The parking situation at some malls was TERRIBLE, and able-bodied people would just park in the handicap spots because regular parking was too far back on a busy day. On several occasions, I remember she would have no choice but to double park because of the lack of parking for her "pimped-out" mini-van (it had a ramp and everything, that thing was sweeeeet). Disney World on the other hand was AWESOME! They had accommodations out the wazoo, AND we got to cut in front of the lines. I think she thought we were using her for that perk :P. I have noticed as I've gotten older (and as her disease progressed), that more places have become accommodating, but I think a large part has to do with The Americans with Disabilities Act...(and probably some places getting sued). She unfortunately didn't travel internationally after I was born, so there's no first hand experience of what places outside of the US are like with accessibility, and I've always been curious. Thank you so much again for answering! You guys are wonderful! :)

man, you guys are lucky to live in Korea because as a baby, i had to move out of korea... atleast i get to see korea from your channel which makes me very happy! I luv you guys! :D

@suphee7573

9 жыл бұрын

I know the feeling. Haha xP

Hi Simon and Martina. As someone who used to teach in Korea before getting my spinal cord injury (and as someone who actually saw Martina at the pillow fight at Seoul City Hall in 2010), I really appreciate this video. I want to go back to Korea but obviously now that I'm in a wheelchair, there are a lot more logistics involved. I wasn't sure what to expect from Korea after 4 years away, especially so with the Paralympics coming up in Pyeongchang soon. It really makes me nervous but I know 2018 might be a good time to return, since I missed the Olympics in my hometown of Vancouver in 2010; I want it to be a cathartic moment and hopefully the accessibility will be much better then than when I lived there in 2010. Anyways, thank you SO MUCH again. (Also, I currently work for Rick Hansen's foundation, so I will send your video over to try to get it featured on our social media outlets.)

@buckysaysstuff1574

9 жыл бұрын

By the way, I really appreciate you trying to make your place accessible. I know for a fact that I can't return to my old school or old apartment due to accessibility issues and you have no idea how incredibly sad that makes me. But knowing there are people there trying to make things less sucky and more awesome really makes me feel better. Again, thank you.

@pkcdude

Жыл бұрын

Bucky Says Stuff, have you been back to Korea since your injury? I went there in 2019 and it was not bad... The biggest issue is the bathroom in the airbnbs.... by the way, I was injured in Vancouver in 2017. Did my rehab at G.F. Strong...

TL:DR three weeks in a row?! EYK, you're spoiling us!!

Really like this topic: a different way of living in the world and appreciating things I usually take for granted.

I was wondering about gift giving in Korea. Are there special situations where you're expected to give gifts, and are there certain kinds of gifts that you're supposed to give? (like in Japan you're supposed to bring gifts (like towels or food) to your new neighbours when you move, or omiyage (sweets) for co-workers when you come back from a vacation, etc.)

I live in Washington State in American and we have a lot ofhandicapped parking everywhere. We even have reserved parking for pregnant women and wounded soldiers in some places.

thank you for going over this. as a person with a disability, this is incredibly insightful!

I happen to use a wheelchair! And you guys did an outstanding job on this vlog! Thanks for making this!

How accessible is S. Korea to people like me who are blind? For example, ATMs, bumps on the sidewalk, beeping streetlights, cane laws, schools? P.S. I am not completely blind, so please don't ask how do I use KZread, because even if I was completely blind I could still use KZread, a ton of my completely blind friends do.

Thank you for posting this video. As someone who uses a walker and wants to at some point visit Korea (most likely Seoul), I was wondering this myself. I've been to Tokyo twice and was surprised at the lack of accessibility in a lot of places.

Martina and Simon, THANK YOU for this TL;DR! I really appreciate your efforts to make your cafe accessible, you made me smile! ^_^ One thing I would also like to rise awarness about are the attitudes towards disabled people. Sadly in many cultures disability is still seen as a very negative or a shameful thing and I really hope this could change! As a person moving in a wheelchair I find it very frustrating when people stick with their predjudice assumptions without giving me or other disabled people a chance to give another point of view in things.

I love you made your hair up ! Could you make a tutorial on it? It looks really fabulous!!

In England the buses actually have detachable ramps that the bus driver will use to help wheelchair users get on or off, trains have them too.

Hi Simon and Martina! I've been following you guys since the first "How to Dance KPop." As someone with a physical disability in North America, I'm suppperr glad you guys finally did a video on this. I've been wanting to travel to Korea or Asia in general, but didn't know how practical that would be. Kinda sad that the little restaurants won't have access, but good to know that the city would be ok to visit! Thanks a lot! :) P.S. Very much appreciate it that you tried to make your cafe as accessible as possible ^^ I wanna visit so badly! :D

I have been waiting for this video, thank you!!!

Martina's makeup looks soooo pretty!

In Singapore, the bus companies have already rolled out many new buses for multiple bus routes that are wheel-chair friendly as they are fitted with special boarding berths with ramps, guard rails, directional and indicative signs, and staff assistance call buttons for commuters in wheelchairs. Almost every interchange (except for one) has a wheelchair accessible toilet, along with malls and even schools. Train carriages have a certain space allotted for the wheelchair bound along with many handrails, some carriages are even just lined with handrails for them. Most carparks with have a designated spot for them and there would be heavy fine imposed if caught parking there without a handicap.

My best friend has cerebral palsy and her family moved here from South Korea because of the benefits for the physically disabled in the US. She also told me how her teachers in Korea treated her as if she was mentally handicapped despite the fact that the only handicap she has is physical (she's also really bitter about her time in Korea).

Simon I am LOVING your 'stache!!

I remember that are two different types of buses, the one you guys mentioned, and one called a "low" bus that was specifically designed for wheelchairs. No stairs and it has a little ramp that extends out for wheelchairs to roll onto. And it looked like the bus drivers were obligated o help people with wheelchairs get on and off the bus and to secure them in a seat before pulling away. Maybe not all bus routes had this but I know that the 603 blue line had it.

i love love love martina's make up and blouse in this video love love love

I liked the guy that was taking pictures of the gaps in the subway. I thought it was very clever. I also liked that people asked if he needed help getting off.

On the note of taxi's. In my town in Canada there was a huge scandal with the company "Handy Transit" refusing rides for people who weren't taking it to work and by work they defined as "over minimum wage." So if you're on disability, or other sorts of assistance, they were flat out refusing. One of my clients filed a human rights complaint and actually won. I'm not surprised there's similar corruption over accessable taxi/bus service in Korea as well. Interesting to know.

I live in Boise, Idaho. We aren't the most accessible place but we have one feature on our buss that is cool. when the bus stops, the driver lowers the bus so that the bus is only an inch above the curb. the have the wheelchair accessible lifts as well, but my grandmother and a lot of other people find this very helpful.

I used to work at a zoo, where they had several wheelchair accessibility but we still had so many complaints. This caused the owner to make the some employees walk around the zoo as guest (we still got paid) in a wheelchair, carrying rice sack "babies" or using the zoo's strollers with big ball "toddlers". We discovered that more then half of the automatic wheelchair door openers weren't working and that several routes where actually too steep for manual wheelchairs.

Also in Toronto we have special handicapped buses. They are smaller and only have a few seats, but are able to secure more wheelchairs. And they have a ramp that folds out the back. The driver will actually get out and help you with everything, whereas if you use a wheelchair on a regular city bus, you are mostly on your own. These special buses are also available for the elderly who cannot walk to their nearest bus stop.

Vancouver Canada is very handicap/wheelchair friendly. We have haudrolik buses, ramps, elevators, reserved parking spaces, a public handicap private bus as well as handicap seating at theatres, toilets, dressing rooms etc.

luv ur eyeshadow martina!!!

Here in NYC it is pretty accessible, the major subway stations have elevators especially in Manhattan. Every bus has a lift that can bring a wheelchair in their bus. Most bathrooms here also have big stalls for people in wheelchairs.

I just want to say THANK YOU!!! I have learned so much from your videos!!! Simon do you even think on shaving your beard off?

Great video like alway but Martina your eye shadow game is on point! What brand/ shade is that? ON POINT!

I used to be in a wheelchair because of Ehlers Danlos (now on two feet again, yay!). Here in London I expected it to be easy but I was mostly wrong. It is a lot better than other places but using the tube was tough. Loads of stops have no step-free access for wheelchairs. On the bus I had issues with mums who did not want to move their buggies so that I could fit in, but it was usually easy to get on and off using a ramp. Again trains were hit and miss - luckily my local station had step-free access. However, until recently the station that I travelled to for cardiology appointments had two flights of stairs and no lift. My husband had to literally carry me up or down the stairs so that we could get in and out! I shouldn't complain though as for the most part people were generally very understanding.

There is such huge consideration in the US for disabilities, and it's a massive no-no to use disability marked parking spaces. It's even prevalent in some of the comedy here how bad it is to use a parking space marked for a disabled person when you are not disabled. Our high school even had an extra ramp put in (despite the fact that almost all of the entrances are mostly handicap accessible), and there's an elevator to use if you have a class downstairs.

Ahhh my comment got featured in a TLDR im soo happy Love You Guys ♡♡♡♡

In Australia, ive actually seen swings for people in wheelchairs. Its like a large yellow container where they strap in the wheel chair and a machine can move it. After asking my friends who have to live in wheelchairs, they say that the swing is so much fun and makes them feel happier being able to do what lots of other people do.

My mom had crutches while in Korea, and we found that the best mode of transportation is taxi. Although it's not as fast as the subway, it's far easier to use, and much more accomadating. Surprisingly, the bus wasn't that bad, because usually people in the front gave up their seats for her if they saw her. And there are ramps and elevators everywhere, but walking up hills was definitely difficult for her.

Simon's moustache is looking awesome. Its just soo beautiful.... a peice of art ♥

So happy with the last group

Simon I'm loving your manstache!!!

I actually stayed in Korea for a week with my dance group and we stayed at a hotel in Changwon (I think it was called Pullman hotel). Me and my friends got to our rooms, and we had the disabled bathroom. It was fitted with, like you guys said, a sliding door and rail bars for support around the toilet, sink and the shower/bath. So I think that hotel was well equipted with disabled facilities. Here in the UK, I can say we have pretty good facilities. Our buses will lower themselves and a little ramp would come out for wheelchair users to get on more easily. But I cannot say for sure we have the best because I've never been injured, so I've never needed these facilities.

Ooh! I did a thing at my nerd camp with wheelchair accessible ramps! It has to be at a very low angle and you need a flat platform for every certain number of feet of ramp so that people can stop so that they don't get tired when going up or accelerate too much when going down.

We have wheelchair-accessible buses here in Singapore. They usually are able to accommodate at least one wheelchair, sometimes two.

Martina's earrings were so cute I couldn't stop staring at them!

I'm not from Germany myself, but when I went to Berlin this year, I noticed busses are really wheelchair friendly. Since there's quite some space between the bus and the pavement, busses were equiped with a big metal board thingy. The person driving the bus would get out of his seat every time a person in a wheelchair wanted to either enter or leave the bus to place that metal board personally. It was a lot work so it surprised me that they would do stuff like that in such a busy city.

My father is a quadriplegic and uses w power chair to get around when he is outside. He lives in the states for half the year and Korea for the other half. Because the states require handicap accessibility by law, it is extremely easy for him to get around and patron restaurants and stores. He was even able to ride almost all the rides at disneyworld while sitting in his power although there are limited options for him in Korea, handicap accessibility is getting better. Because everything is so close in relation to his apartment, he actually has more freedom to get from place to place in Korea in his wheelchair. Just the other day, my mom sent him off to get his hair cut at a salon within walking distance. Also, he lives in a newer apartment complex so the walkways are much smoother and the elevators are roomier to equip his bulky chair. All in all, there are pros and cons to living in both countries. While Korea offers more freedom, the states offers more options.

I live in the southern part of Illinois and my town just redid almost all of the sidewalks to make them wheelchair assessable so I thought that was really cool.

THANK YOU THANK YOU for finally doing a video on this! :D!!! I've been wondering for quite awhile now. I visited South Korea when I was very little, before I was physically disabled, and have been wanting to visit again. Thank you for letting me know how it's like there! :D

@LittleAmyHe

9 жыл бұрын

Oh and I've experienced similar situations with taxis in China. It's just regular taxis though. We would flag down taxis that were empty and 9/10 would drive right by us. Or they would park next to a person that was also waiting for a taxi but didn't flag this one. Sometimes it's just people being douchebags and climbing into taxis that stopped for us and the taxi driver would be completely confused (This also happened in NYC and I remember telling my parents "NYC is like America's China." when I was 13.), but it's getting better. During my most recent visit, I found that anyone not particularly rich, happened to be the MOST accommodating in China. To the point where it was shocking even for someone from the US like me. The rich would shove in front of me all the time, especially in getting into elevators while I remember a man selling stuff on the street helping my mom carry my wheelchair with me in it into a store and the pilot of the plane I was boarding carried me "bride-style" onto the plane and waitresses and flight attendants would always be extremely attentive and doting. It was extremely eye-opening.

@LittleAmyHe

9 жыл бұрын

I also found something interesting about Canada (at least Vancouver, Canada). The first time I went to Canada (5 years ago and it was all over the left side of Canada) it felt super accommodating (not as much as the US, but basically still extremely awesome), but when I visited this year I saw these tiny, tiiiiiny toilets (so hard to sit down on and get up from) I never saw before and I realized how TINY bathroom stalls can be. And I never actually went into a wheelchair bathroom stall (I never saw one in restaurants, but I didn't go to malls and stuff this time) which is a huge no-no in the US. It was very interesting.

Eatyourkimchi is my LYYFE!!!

this reminds me on how my own country has a long way to go to be differently abled friendly accessible to even train stations (on which some have non functioning elevator) and other building does not have even a ramp for them too

I live in Hawaii, USA and there are many provisions for the disabled. Public buses will always pick up a passenger with a wheelchair or crutches & there are priority seats at the front of the buses for these. Public parks, shopping centers, and other places have elevators and ramps & many cars that do have the handicap plaques park in the handicapped stalls. Cost of living in Hawaii is expensive as is & many don't want to risk getting a ticket!

idk about the rest of the US, but here in Jacksonville florida we have separate mini shuttle buses for people in wheelchairs and other handicaps. I think it's also a "call them and give them your schedule of places and times to go and they'll drop you off and retrieve you" kinda thing, so that's pretty cool.

My friend is in a wheelchair, we live 30 mins from the city so the buses here aren't wheelchair friendly (but the areas closer to the city are!) and so she got a special card she can use on taxis so she only pays about 10% of the cost. In ALL public buildings there's elevators, ramps and toilets, it's something all new public building must have to get approved, that includes schools and such. In the city itself there's special stones put down on the side walk so blind people can feel where they're going, and the traffic lights beep when it's green. The big mall we have is very nice for people in wheelchairs, but the city streets are cobblestone so it's not as nice there, but it's still accessible. (small town in Norway, Kristiansand, 86.000 ppl)

Here in the states, the parking for handicap is very strict (ex. you have to have a license plate or a tag to hang on rear mirror to prove you are handicapped) but there are still some ways around it. Senior year of high school, my friend broke one of her arms, so she got the tag for her car so she could park close to the school. Eventually the tag expired, but the school police never noticed so she continued parking there for the rest of the school year.

In america many places are handicap accessible. My school has ramps wherever there are stares. We also have one elevator in the two story part of the building. If you are in a wheelchair or have crutches they give you the key to the elevator and you can use it to go upstairs rather than having a ramp.

Singapore has been having more disabled friendly transportations n shopping centres lately. Which is good since there are a lot of elderly people in some estates.

In Singapore, we do have toilet for the handicapped and for buses, the government are trying to change the buses to handicap friendly by having these boards that are foldable, so when it needs to be used, the bus captain will unfold it and lay it out for the wheelchair to be wheeled down. Apart from that, there are lifts to cater to the handicap in the train stations.

In Brazil, Most buses has a place for wilchair, in the city we have some good sidewalks for wild chair and even noisy thing for blind people cross the sidewalk at traffic light and we have toilets and parking for handicapped people everywhere ! We also have access ramps for most of public places and shops. However this is mostly at the big cities.

Where I live in The Netherlands it's quite accessible for people with a wheelchair, crutches or poor walk bound handicap. Everywhere you'll see elevators, doors/gates/etc that are wide enough and parking space. Unfortunately, many people still misuse the parking spaces, even though you can get a ticket for it...

I would say that Singapore has really good disability/handicap facilities. Almost every building has a lift, not just in new housing estates but old housing estates too. They are extending the lift facilities so its easier for the old or disabled to around. The train stations also have lifts and ramps for people to get off the station. We also have handicap cubicles in both the gents and female toilets at offices, malls etc. Every carpark has handicap parking spaces and i have never seen anyone park their cars there. Because the law here is really strict and so the govt also has manpower to patrol around carparks frequently. Im pretty much satisfied with all these facilities, it just makes it easier for the disabled to move about.

Eat Your Kimchi just to let you guys know that if you park on a handicap lot you can either get a fine, jail sentence or both. its very strict in singapore. All trains and most bus have wheel chair accessibility. almost all public toilets have handicapped toilets too. almost half of the hawker center and food courts have table that are meant for wheelchairs users. SINGAPORE IS HANDICAP FRIENDLY! !!

I don't know if this is all of America but in Virginia there's the handicap taxi service thingy too, it's called the metro access. Except it's a small bus, not a car.

Here in Dubai, where ever you go there will be parkings, ramps and everything you can imagine for the disabled. They really prioritize then here. You are also not allowed to park your car for the disabled or even "wait" there or else you'll get fined. In buses, they don't really have ramps but the bus actually goes lower for anyone who is on a wheelchair and have space for them to stay in the bus and not in the way kind of like their own seat but its just empty with a long handle to just grab on to when the bus is moving.

And also to speak on buses in Canada, I'm from Windsor and the bus drivers are, for the most part, INSANELY considerate of handicapped people. Most bus drivers will put the bus in park, get up and pull out a retractable ramp, go to a section of seats that flip up and flip them up for the handicapped person, and hook them in with the hook and strap thing they have to keep them in place. They make sure the wheelchair or scooter is secure before getting back in to the wheel and continuing down their route. It's also an unspoken rule that the first section of the bus is reserved for the elderly and if you're young you head straight for the back of the bus. You get heavily judged if you don't give your seat up for an older person.

I spent a couple of weeks in Korea in October and fell in love with the country. However, while I'm not completely disabled by any means I do have limitations. Stairs are quite difficult for this arthritic old halmeoni with both inflammatory and degenerative arthritis plus severe spine issues. Fortunately, in most subway stations I found ramps, elevators or escalators. Also fortunately, my friends were patient and would wait for me. There are apparently strides being made. It was definitely different than here in the US where most things are very accessible. But I agree with your observations

The U.S. is pretty handicap accessible but there was a small movie theater I use to work at that kinda sucked at accommodating people on wheelchairs or crutches. They only had one ramp that was far from the most of the theater rooms and there was not an specific sitting area for wheelchairs so people constantly complained about that.

Hi. By the way I think you guys are the best. You are my heroes :) Im from Canada and I would like a TL;DR about how you learned korean. My dream is also to move to korea one day :) thank you !!

That bun is so cute!

I live in a town in the US That is made for old rich people, and there are handicap spaces everywhere and the parking spaces are very wide even for just regular parking, and also you have a lot of access to elevators and Ramps as well, but when I go once in a while to a city like Miami parking is a pain in general

in england all buses are flat only a slight incline the further up and there is an area for for oaps which people politly offer them if there are no seats :)

We have a lot of handicap "places" on the bus and subway and parking too here in Brazil

I'm in SW Michigan, about 3ish hours from Detroit and about an hour 20 from Chicago. Even here, in a more rural area, almost everything is handicap assessable, except for some of the smaller Mom/Pop shops in older buildings. They even keep ramps maintained and clear from the top of the bluff in St Joseph, down to the railroad station and beach.(Some beaches have wood decking laid out close to the high tide line so you can enjoy the beach a bit and not have to sit in the parking lot.) We also are starting to see more 'Pregnancy' Parking and even "Elderly/Senior 'Parking at various shops. My husband works at the Whirlpool World Headquarters and they just added "United Way Donor' Parking for those that gave a certain amount for a charity drive.

Love the mustache Simon~ Very gentlemanly x

@eatyourkimchi

9 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I would love to see you guys react to your old videos:3 it's like watching completely different people:') ahaha.

Montreal is very wheelchair friendly there is even wheelchair only spot on the bus and the bus tilts a bit and a ramp comes out or if u are on crutches or old when they open the door they lower the bus so the bus floor touches the sidewalk! Its awesome!!!

Dear Simon and Martina, I love your channel. I'm using a wheelchair in Japan. Please film "Wheelchair Accessibility in Japan"!.

Martina, I spent the first 6 minutes of the video staring at your earrings until it dawned on me: THEY ARE STRAWBERRIES! They ARE strawberries, right? Black, emo, there-is-no-colour-left-in-the-world strawberries. I'm kinda loving them.

In England , there is soooo many things for disabled people. I even have a disabled spot outside my house for my brother. Every shop has like a disabled bathroom and disabled parking outside (big ones like asda or tesco) and you need to have a blue badge on your car. If you don't , there are people who go around checking the cars to see it and if you don't have it then you get fined £75 or something like that. Also in shops and schools there are Ramps for wheelchairs and in my secondary school there is an elevator for wheelchairs. My school also has disabled spots. The hospitals also have disabled spots and disabled bathrooms. So yeah england has a lot of things to help disabled people

Back when I was in high school, we had a talk by a disabled person and they told us how hard it was to order a disabled taxi cos it sometimes meant hours of waiting or they just wouldn't show up :( this was in 2008ish so hopefully things have changed for the better!

in my school there's a wheelchair users and we have everything for them: higher desks, elevators, automatic doors, toilets, showers, ramps and even a personal teacher to help them around the school