Life can be rough for those who look a little ¡°different¡± from others in society. You would expect no one to know this better than Hirotada Ototake, who was born without arms or legs due to a genetic disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome. Surprisingly, however, the 38-year-old says he was fortunate to have never felt like he was severely disabled.
¡°Everyone is different, regardless of their disability,¡± Ototake tells The Japan Times. ¡°You can choose to dwell on your ¡°difference¡± in a negative way or, alternatively, accept it and turn it into something positive. I have been able to turn my disability into something super-positive.¡±
Ototake has an impressive resume behind him already, working in such positions as an author, sports journalist, actor, elementary school teacher and head of a nonprofit organization that works to clean the streets of Shinjuku Ward.
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