Tokyo's first Paralympics, in 1964, helped change societal perspectives on people with disabilities in Japan, driving a paradigm shift from pity to empowerment, according to two para athletes who took part in Asia's first Summer Games.Hideo Kondo, who competed in archery and wheelchair basketball among other sports in 1964, said the event was a life-changing experience. He was exposed to the chasm between what it meant to be a Japanese para athlete at the time and how overseas athletes viewed themselves and were viewed by others.The 86-year-old Japanese, who sustained a spinal cord injury a…READ FULL ARTICLE
