Tag: disability

Down Syndrome no obstacle for aspiring French politician

by Antoine POLLEZ ARRAS,  France (AFP) — When the mayor of Arras, a town in northern France, asked her to stand as a candidate in upcoming municipal elections, Eleonore Laloux, who has Down Syndrome, did not hesitate. “I would like Arras to change, for there to be improvements… mainly with regard to cleanliness and respect, but also accessibility” for disabled people, the 34-year-old administrative agent and activist told AFP. “I am ready to make this […]

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Blind Japanese sailor completes non-stop Pacific voyage

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A blind Japanese sailor completed his non-stop Pacific voyage on Saturday, local media reported, becoming the first sightless person on record to navigate a vessel across the vast ocean. Mitsuhiro Iwamoto arrived at port in Fukushima in his 12-meter (40-foot) sailboat on Saturday morning, around two months after he left California. Iwamoto, a 52-year-old San Diego resident, sailed from the US city on February 24 with Doug Smith, an American navigator […]

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