Former Japanese Paralympian recalls Tokyo's first Paralympics

Para athletes competing in a wheelchair basketball event during the Tokyo 1964 Paralympic Games. Photo: Japanese Para Sports Association/AFP

Tokyo is the first city to host the Paralympics twice, and Hideo Kondo says taking part in the 1964 Games was a life-changing experience that inspired him to pioneer accessibility improvements.

Tokyo's first Paralympics helped break down barriers to the acceptance of people with disabilities in Japan, experts say, and this year's Games offers a chance to highlight and address the difficulties that remain.