The desire to enrich our lives while enjoying entertainment and romance is something everyone shares.
A society where everyone can be happy, regardless of disability, is an ideal. However, in today’s society, there are few events where people with disabilities can participate on an equal footing.
To address these issues, Kurashiki Shien LABO has planned events that everyone can enjoy, regardless of whether they have a disability.
Rather than providing special accommodations, it aims to create a local community where inclusive events are held as part of everyday life.
We spoke with Sato Masakazu, one of the founders of Kurashiki Shien LABO, about the ideas and efforts that have made it possible to hold events that everyone can enjoy, regardless of disability.
Here, we introduce the kind of ideal society Sato hopes to create.
The information presented was current when this article was published in September 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Kurashiki Shien LABO?
Kurashiki Shien LABO plans events that everyone can enjoy, regardless of whether they have a disability.
Here, we introduce Kurashiki Shien LABO, which provides a new kind of welfare unlike anything before.
Overview of Kurashiki Shien LABO
Kurashiki Shien LABO creates systems that enable people with disabilities to lead fulfilling lives in their local communities.
Public social welfare programs make it possible to maintain a basic standard of living, but existing systems cannot provide enough lifestyle choices for people with disabilities to engage with their local communities.
To change this situation, Kurashiki Shien LABO has held events open to everyone, regardless of disability, including matchmaking seminars, music events at cafe-bars, and flower-arranging performance events.
People involved in social welfare services, primarily in Kurashiki City, came together and have been holding events that connect welfare and society since August 2021.
The people behind Kurashiki Shien LABO
Kurashiki Shien LABO began with two founders: Sato Masakazu, who runs an employment support service for people with disabilities in Kurashiki City, and Ando Kiyoko of Parent Support Step, which also provides support to parents of children and adults with disabilities in Kurashiki City.
Other people involved in social welfare services in Kurashiki City also volunteer their time.
People who support its mission work together on planning, and there is no membership or similar affiliation system.
Its distinctive feature is its flexible framework for welfare activities.
Operators of children’s cafeterias and free schools, people from companies involved in employment support, and parents of children with disabilities also contribute to Kurashiki Shien LABO’s activities.
University professors also work with the group to provide expert advice on disabilities.
Three divisions in welfare
At the heart of Kurashiki Shien LABO’s work are the issues known as the three divisions in welfare.
The three divisions in welfare are:
- The division between people directly affected and their families, and welfare (families facing difficulties due to disability do not receive information about welfare)
- The division between society and welfare (there is little interaction between the many people living in society and people with disabilities or welfare systems)
- Divisions within welfare (insufficient coordination among welfare service providers)
Kurashiki Shien LABO works to address these three divisions.
For example, matchmaking seminars, music events at cafe-bars, and flower-arranging events aim to connect society, welfare, and people directly affected by disability.
Kurashiki Shien LABO is also developing a notebook for people with disabilities to record their support history after reaching adulthood, in order to address divisions among welfare service providers.
Addressing divisions in welfare
Events connecting society, welfare, and people directly affected
Kurashiki Shien LABO offers events where everyone can enjoy the same activities at the same venue, regardless of disability.
Rather than making special accommodations for people with disabilities, the ideal local community is one where events that everyone can enjoy, without distinction, are simply part of everyday life.
That is why its matchmaking and music events have featured professional instructors and charged an admission fee.
These events are designed to help people feel that it is perfectly natural for people with disabilities to be in the same space, and that there is no problem with it at all.
A notebook to address divisions within welfare
People with disabilities aged 18 and over had no record of their support history, making it difficult to understand their circumstances when support was needed and creating challenges in providing appropriate assistance.
For children under 18, Kurashiki City supports the use of the Kagayaki Notebook, which records their development and support history.
By showing the Kagayaki Notebook to childcare centers, schools, and medical institutions, parents can avoid having to repeatedly explain their child’s situation and can communicate information accurately.
However, the Kagayaki Notebook’s records end at age 18, making it difficult to provide consistent support because information from then on cannot be shared.
To address this issue, Kurashiki Shien LABO is developing an adult version of the Kagayaki Notebook.
Photo courtesy of Kurashiki Shien LABO
Report Meeting: “Kurashiki Shien LABO Festival: A Chemical Reaction Between ‘Welfare’ and ‘You’”
On September 3, 2023, as a culmination of Kurashiki Shien LABO’s activities, the report meeting “Kurashiki Shien LABO Festival: A Chemical Reaction Between ‘Welfare’ and ‘You’” was held.
Sato and Ando, who have coordinated Kurashiki Shien LABO’s work to date, reported on their past initiatives, including matchmaking support and the adult version of the Kagayaki Notebook.
They also held a talk event on a tiered stage like those seen on television variety shows, where guests involved in welfare services and other fields engaged in conversation.
Representing Kurashiki businesses were Akiba Yuichi, president and CEO of Kurabiz Co., Ltd.; Yamashita Yumi of Laf Mariage, a marriage counseling business in Kurashiki; and Miyamoto-san, who runs an employment support service for people with disabilities in Nagoya City.
The event also featured a session where people with disabilities spoke about the realities of their work and daily lives, as well as a public viewing of a survey on sexuality among people with disabilities.
Kurashiki Shien LABO made this report meeting possible, presenting the lives of people with disabilities from a fresh perspective.
Photo courtesy of Kurashiki Shien LABO
How did Sato and Ando, the founders of Kurashiki Shien LABO, come to recognize the need for events that bring together society, welfare, and people with disabilities?
Through an interview with Sato, we share the work of Kurashiki Shien LABO.
Kurashiki Shien LABO Information
| Name | Kurashiki Shien LABO |
|---|---|
| Dates | Held irregularly, mainly in Kurashiki City |
| Location | 2463-6 Shinden, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Varies by event |
| Website | Kurashiki Shien LABO |
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