Some parents of children with disabilities find it difficult to explore places to go out due to their children's characteristics.
At the special needs school where I used to work, I have seen families struggling to find ways to spend their leisure time and places to enjoy.
This autumn, in Kurashiki City, the Certified NPO Parent Support Step will hold an "Autumn Festival" in the Bikan Historical Area, calling for exhibitors who resonate with the philosophy of "We want to entertain children with disabilities and their parents."
I interviewed about what kind of "Autumn Festival" it will be, recommended ways to enjoy it, and the wishes behind the "Autumn Festival."
What is a Rabbit Café?
A Rabbit Café is a café-style consultation center organized by the Certified NPO Parent Support Step, which supports parents of children with disabilities.
The target audience is parents of children with disabilities or developmental concerns. The Rabbit Café is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 3 PM, providing a space where parents can talk with staff and other customers, read books available on-site, and enjoy lunch and sweets.
What is the "Autumn Festival" at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café?
The "Autumn Festival" at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café (hereinafter referred to as the "Autumn Festival") will be held on October 27, 2024 (Sunday) from 10:30 AM to 4 PM at Achi Town Square in the Bikan Historical Area. The event is organized by the Certified NPO Parent Support Step.
On the day of the event, we plan to have the following exhibitors who share the common philosophy of "We want to entertain children with disabilities and their parents."
- 5 food-related exhibitors
- 7 merchandise and workshop relaxation exhibitors
- 5 performances
In addition, there will be exhibitors not only from organizations currently supporting people with disabilities but also from those who want to get involved in disability support in the future.
Please check the following images for details.
Interview with a representative of Certified NPO Parent Support Step
I interviewed Ando Kiyoko (the chairperson of Certified NPO Parent Support Step, hereinafter referred to as "Step") about the background of the "Autumn Festival" and how to enjoy it on the day.
Can you tell us about the background of holding the "Autumn Festival" at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café?
Ando (no honorifics)
The aim of this "Autumn Festival" is to "entertain children with disabilities and their parents." Therefore, we decided to hold the "Autumn Festival" by calling for exhibitors who agree with that sentiment.
The predecessor of this "Autumn Festival" is an event called "Handmade Market," which was held about five times at Funao Winery and Mizushima Ai Ai Salon. With each event, the number of children with disabilities and their parents participating continued to increase.
The initial purpose of the "Handmade Market" was to make various people aware of the existence of support for parents. However, when we actually held the event, we saw many children with disabilities and their families enjoying themselves and going home happy. This made us re-recognize the scarcity of places to go out with children with disabilities.
Therefore, we realized that the "Handmade Market" not only gathered people who love handmade crafts but also provided opportunities for outings for children with disabilities and their parents since it was an event we organized.
Thus, we decided to hold the "Autumn Festival" at Achi Town Square in the Bikan Historical Area, where visitors can also enjoy local sightseeing.
By naming it the "Autumn Festival," we hope to make it an annual event that people will associate with "When autumn comes, the Parent's Place Rabbit Café's 'Autumn Festival'."
What kind of exhibitors are planned for the day?
Ando
We called for exhibitors who agree with the purpose of wanting to entertain children with disabilities and their parents, regardless of whether they are currently involved in disability support.
There will be 17 exhibitors actually participating, but we received applications from 48 exhibitors. It's wonderful.
We had a hard time deciding which exhibitors to invite, but we voted among the members of Step, including the board members.
Even those who were not selected this time are people who will likely become allies of children with disabilities and their parents, so I hope we can connect with them on another occasion.
Can you tell us about the highlight of the "Autumn Festival"?
Ando
On the day, we will hold a "Sudden Rock-Paper-Scissors for Prizes" once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
In competitions and games, when people with disabilities and those without compete on the same level, it is easy for those without disabilities to hold back. However, rock-paper-scissors is a simple game where holding back is not possible, so I want both people with and without disabilities to participate earnestly and aim for the prizes equally and together.
Achi Town Square is a place where both people with and without disabilities, locals, and tourists pass by, so I hope this opportunity will allow people who usually do not interact with people with disabilities to learn about us.
I heard that there will also be a collaborative project with "Login Kurashiki" on the day.
Ando
Yes, on that day, if you bring a flyer distributed at the venue to "Login Kurashiki," you will receive a discount when shopping.
"Login Kurashiki" is located diagonally across from the "Autumn Festival" venue, and within it, "Tsunagu Kurashiki" regularly features Step's handmade project, handmade Usagi. We plan to have a booth there in early December, so I hope people will take this opportunity to visit and get to know the place.
I hope that this will lead to "Login Kurashiki" becoming one of the options for outings for children with disabilities and their families.
The more collaborative partners we have, the more options for outings for parents and children will expand. I believe this will lead to an increase in the number of people involved with families of children with disabilities.
Was the idea of "increasing the number of people involved" also considered when selecting the venue for the "Autumn Festival"?
Ando
Yes, it was.
Markets organized by welfare facilities or facilities promoting disability support are often held on their premises, and rarely attract tourists or locals. While such markets have the advantage of gathering people who understand disabilities, we have always been committed to holding markets in public spaces.
This is because we want to increase the options for outings for children with disabilities and their parents, and create opportunities for people unrelated to disability support to learn about us, in other words, to increase the number of people involved.
In fact, we initially had a period where we did not try to engage with people unrelated to disability support because we were strongly motivated to protect children with disabilities and their parents.
However, we gradually realized that increasing the number of people who know about us means increasing our supporters.
By being able to have the mindset of "wanting to let various people know about us," we hope that locals and tourists will casually visit the "Autumn Festival" and become people who have interacted with individuals with disabilities.
Moreover, since Achi Town Square is close to the Bikan Historical Area, children with disabilities and their parents may have the successful experience of attending the "Autumn Festival" and then explore the Bikan Historical Area. Children with disabilities and their families also enjoy shopping and eating.
Therefore, I would be happy if this could serve as an opportunity for people in tourist areas like the Bikan Historical Area to understand that "people with disabilities are also consumers" and to think about creating a city where "people with disabilities can easily come for tourism and dining."
What do you want participants to feel?
Ando
I want children with disabilities and their parents to enjoy themselves as a place to go out.
For exhibitors and general participants, I hope they can enjoy the day wholeheartedly. At that moment, if they think, "I want to invite that family next door to this event," or "I think my relative would enjoy this event," and remember the children who need support and their parents around them, I would be very happy.
Finally, please give a message to the readers.
Ando
As organizers, we are filled with thoughts of "wanting to do this" while imagining the faces of the users of the Rabbit Café, but on the day of the event, I want everyone to enjoy the "Autumn Festival" we planned on a pleasant autumn day without thinking about complicated matters, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. That is what I hope.
We sincerely look forward to your attendance.
Conclusion
As someone with a hearing impairment, I deeply feel that I cannot live solely in a world of people with disabilities and their supporters. I want to convey information through Kurashiki Tocotoco, highlighting that "people with disabilities and their supporters are also citizens living in Kurashiki," and I actively focus on the activities of people with disabilities and their supporters.
I share the same sentiment as Ando, who said, "I want to increase the number of people involved."
I am working on building relationships through information dissemination via the web, while Step is building relationships through the "Autumn Festival." We had a lively discussion during the interview about how we can work together to make the city more livable for people with disabilities and their supporters.
On October 27 (Sunday), why not enjoy the market filled with exhibitors who want to entertain children with disabilities and their parents at Achi Town Square while also going out to vote?
Data on the "Autumn Festival" at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café
| Name | Autumn Festival at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café |
|---|---|
| Date | October 27, 2024 (Sunday) from 10:30 AM to 4 PM |
| Location | 2-23-4 Achi, Kurashiki City |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free admission |
| Website | Autumn Festival at the Parent's Place Rabbit Café |
