国際セミナー「世界の障害者インクルージョン政策の動向」

講演2　要旨（原文）
Finding Inspiration in the World Around You

Stuart Mackenzie

Stuart Mackenzie is the founder of Aquamacs, an aquarium rental and maintenance company, which is based on the values of inclusion and participation.

The contribution of everyone involved is valued and the voice of those who don't usually get　heard is listened to. Everyone can express their concerns and hopes. The company operates on　the basis of teamwork, the sharing of information, good communication and feedback. There　is a collective way of facilitating learning and change. Employees are co-developers and the　abilities of all are used to the full.
The creation of Aquamacs has been a journey drawing on personal experience. In 1997,Stuart Mackenzie was involved in a car accident which left him in permanent chronic pain　and suffering from constant tiredness, for which no doctor could find a diagnosis. He couldn't　work for one year and had to give up all the sports and other strenuous activities he enjoyed.　He was scared, desperate and didn't know what to do and how to look after his family.
He enrolled on a year's college course for retraining in 1998. In 1999 he was given a work　placement in a bank, but he did not feel valued or accepted as a 'real' person but rather felt　himself just to be a number, making up the company's disability quota. In 2000 he was finally　diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia (FM). This meant, at least, he knew what he was dealing with.
Stuart decided to set up on his own with ￡3,500, and know-how and business skills, obtained through the government's New Entrepreneur Scholarship. In 2002 he established Aquamacs, as a social firm whose aim is to provide employment for disabled people. It is run as a sole trader company without any outside financial support and now has four employees.
Stuart is determined that his own life's experiences should be fundamental to Aquamacs' philosophy and approach - people must feel included, and not be treated as if they are just making up numbers.
Creating, developing and managing a diverse workforce to serve diverse customers is the Aquamacs key to improving efficiency. Everyone is treated as an individual according to his personal needs and abilities. The result is that more than just a product and a service is provided.
Because of its success Aquamacs has been used as a model for new franchise companies around the UK. Social Firms UK, the umbrella organisation which supports social firms, has set up a new company, Aquamacs Ltd, together with Stuart Mackenzie, who is a director and provides paid training and management advice to the franchise companies. All profits of Aquamacs Ltd, whose aim is social rather than financial, are reinvested in the company.