Audrey King's trip to Japan Diary

Osaka Conference - DAY THIRTEEN

The BAKU BAKU Association
Hundreds of people came to the Osaka JVUN Conference. Many were mothers of children and teenagers who use ventilators to help them breathe. Their association is called “BAKU BAKU’, which means “heartbeat” in Japanese. Some of these children and teens go to regular schools with other kids their age, but their parents told me they have to come to the school during the day to help them with eating and bathroom needs.


The audience at the Osaka JVUN Conference


BAKU BAKU mothers, telling us about their children who go to regular schools in Japan with their ventilators

  • Do you know any kids who go to school with their ventilators?
  • How do kids with disabilities in Canada get the help they need with eating and the bathroom at school?


The audience listening to our panel discussion in Osaka

Joan gave the big "keynote" address this time, while Adolf and I just participated in the afternoon panel discussion, along with some other Japanese people with disabilities who live in Osaka.


Close up of the Osaka panel participants


Toshimi Kumagai, vice-president of the Japanese ALS Association, getting reading to speak

Communicating with a Voice Synthesizer
One lady on our panel, Toshimi Kumagai, who is the Vice-President of the Japanese ALS Association, can not move any part of her body - not even her face or lips. To communicate, she touched her tongue against a fiber-optic sensor switch and it activated a “VOCA” (Voice Output Communication Aid), called "Let’s Chat." This device said the words out loud for her. This kind of speech device is sometimes also called an SGD (Speech Generating Device).


Toshimi Kumagai uses her tongue to activate her VOCA


Close-up of "Let’s Chat", Toshimi’s VOCA

ISN’T TECHNOLOGY AMAZING! Of course, I couldn’t understand a word of what she said because it was all in Japanese and I only speak and understand English!

  • What voice technology have you used? A microphone? Karaoke? Loud speaker? Voice synthesizer? A VOCA?
  • Have you ever had a conversation with someone who uses a voice synthesizor or a VOCA? What was it like?

Is Martha paying attention?
During the afternoon panel discussion Martha was keeping herself very busy, out of sight in a waiting room off to the side of the auditorium. You’ll never guess what she was doing! She was knitting away like crazy on the socks that she’d started for Georgie-san on our airplane flight to Japan. In a few days we’ll be returning back to Canada - so Martha absolutley MUST get them finished!


Georgie-san trying on Martha’s amazing Technicolor dream socks


Celebrating at the Bote-Chaya restaurant

Celebrating with Okonomiyaki
After the conference, we celebrated our success with the JVUN staff over supper in a restaurant called Bote-Chaya. We have so much to celebrate! During the past fourteen days we’ve presented at three conferences in three different Japanese cities – Sapporo, Tokyo and Osaka, and over 1000 delegates have attended. Kimiyo Sato and JVUN have every reason to be very proud of all they have accomplished!


George preparing his own okonomiyaki


Hey, this sure looks terrific. I can’t wait to try it!


Junko says, "Hey, save some for me too!"

Every since we came to Japan Georgie san has been searching for his very favourite dish of all time, called “Okonomiyaki”. It’s a kind of cabbage pancake which you cook for yourself at your own table. To our delight, Boto-Chaya had okonomiyaki on the menu! What a great way to celebrate!

  • Have you ever cooked your own food at the table?
  • If you could make whatever kind of pancakes you wanted, what would YOU put in them? Cabbage????


Hiro, our translator, and I agree that it’s been another absolutely wonderful day.

Tomorrow all the JVUN staff, except Makoto, must return to Sapporo, so this was our last supper together. Martha, George and I will be staying in Sapporo for an extra day so we can “rest up” before beginning our long journey back to Canada - the day after tomorrow. Boo hoo! I’m feeling sad already!

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