Roger OngDiversity and inclusion should provide accessibility for all, be they LGBT, elderly or disabled. While the concept of diversity is slowly building in Japan, there is a place in Kyushu that already has social inclusion nailed down.
The 21-year-old Fureai no Heya (Contact Classroom) is located in Shime Town, just east of Fukuoka City. Here, individuals aged between 20 and 40 years with developmental disabilities have found a place to work. Under the guidance of the staff and local volunteers, they are creating gifts like memo pads, cards and acorn Christmas wreaths for sale. It’s a business model that creates financial viability. It is no surprise that they have won the 2015 Good Design Award.
However, Fureai no Heya is not a standalone facility or factory. What makes it special is that it is located in a classroom of an elementary school. Furthermore, the room adopts an open door concept, where any one can enter freely. This allows the children to come in contact with the disabled individuals at their will. This open concept serves two purposes at promoting an admirable social inclusion model.
Firstly, Fureai no Heya provides a safe space for its members of disabled individuals to be themselves. Though the wall of being comfortable with themselves can be tremendous to overcome at first, the individuals eventually learn that they are being accepted for who they are. Indeed, the staff have shown the members that they have are personalities, not disabilities. And that is precisely what Yuzunoki Social Welfare Corporation, the group running Fureai no Heya, is aiming to achieve: to redefine disability.
The second reason why Fureai no Heya excels is how elementary school children can freely interact with these individuals. With an open concept, the students are free to come by during recess and lunch. Interactions are not only with the members, but also in the work that they do. These interactions are key to allowing children to learn first hand about what disabilities is like. Truly, children visited the classroom while we were there, happy and playful, acting as cheer for the members and vice versa.
If understanding the self and understanding others is key to creating a better society, then the future is bright in Shime Town. Fureai no Heya has created an inclusive environment that allows those understanding to begin. It offers a social inclusion model that Japan can adopt easily too. Perhaps then it will relieve the stagnant acceptance of diversity in society.
[Website] Fureai no Heya Homepage
