Relay Column: The Discrimination of Dressing Up and the COVID Society (Hiroto Kubota)

Despite the still high number of infections and deaths due to the new coronavirus, society is rapidly moving towards easing infection control measures, which may be bewildering for some people. However, as a researcher on disability issues, I feel this change is welcome.

It goes without saying that people with disabilities are more likely to have high-risk factors that increase the danger of losing their lives to infectious diseases. Therefore, it may seem odd to some that a researcher focusing on disability issues would view the easing of infection control measures positively. In fact, over the past three years, many researchers (regardless of whether their research theme is disability or not) have been calling for 'zero corona' policies and strengthened infection control measures. However, if we unravel the history of the disability movement, it becomes clear that we should not be overly sensitive to infectious diseases, but should regain our previous lifestyles. In this column, I would like to discuss the importance of reclaiming a normal life, based on the history of the disability movement.