Creating Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A New Initiative by the SAORI Business Cooperative (August.2001)

What is SAORI weaving?

SAORI is a hand weaving program founded
in 1968 by Mrs. Misao Jo in Osaka. SAORI cloth is made by freely weaving woof threads across hundreds of warp threads that are stretched on a simple wooden loom. The cloth is used to make pouches, pen cases, mufflers, dresses and so on. Its technical simplicity and wide variety of colors and patterns have won SAORI a large following in Japan; and its popularity is now spreading overseas.

Advantages of Establishing a Business Cooperative

A movement is underway to create working places for people with intellectual disabilities by making use of SAORI weaving.
This involves establishing a business cooperative that people with intellectual disabilities belong to. A business cooperative is a legal union organization under the Law on Cooperatives for Small and Medium Enterprises that was enacted in 1949. Four or more individuals or entrepreneurs can form a cooperative, which can function as a business entity. It is quite different from joint-stock companies or limited companies that require a large amount of capital. As there is no restriction on the amount of investment, it is easy to establish and is likely to gain social acceptance. There are many other advantages, such as the application of workers' accident compensation insurance and access to Government subsidies and loans for small and medium enterprises.
Usually people with intellectual disabilities work at small workshops, but they earn less than 10,000 yen a month. Their jobs - for example, packing towels and folding boxes - are very simple. Although the work may correspond to their intellectual abilities, such jobs do not always help people with disabilities to actualize their potential. Even when people with mild disabilities get jobs at companies, they often quit soon because of stress from the relationships with their co-workers.

Establishment of SAORI Business Cooperative and Its Goal

In order to help people with intellectual disabilities to break out of such poor working conditions, SAORI Business Cooperative was established in April 2000 in Osaka. Its 11 members are 5 people with intellectual disabilities, their mothers and Mr. Eiji Jo, a representative of SAORI HIROBA (a NPO working to spread SAORI weaving) who played a key role in establishing the cooperative. Five people with disabilities weave SAORI cloth, and their mothers make such products as wallets, coasters and luncheon mats for sale.

People with Intellectual Disabilities Have Become Taxpayers

The prospectus of the SAORI Business Cooperative states its purpose as follows. "This organization seeks to enlist the support of financial sponsors and experts in business and planning for the ongoing development of a stable management framework in the cooperative's effort to best utilize the wonderful sensitivity of people with disabilities."

In the past, people with intellectual disabilities were expected to become independent socially and psychologically but not so much financially. The establishment of this business cooperative presented a good opportunity for them to become financially self-reliant as well. Last year the venture showed a loss because it could not achieve sales of 10 million yen as planned. This was mainly because not all of the cloth produced was made into finished goods for sale. However, since the corporative has received numerous orders for souvenir items and also sold works at exhibitions in April 2001, its members have become honorable taxpayers. At present, there is a movement to establish similar business cooperatives in 3 prefectures, including Osaka and Aichi.

Note: NPO SAORI HIROBA

NPO SAORI HIROBA is a registered Non-Profit Organization established in 1982 for the purpose of improving the lives of the elderly and people with disabilities, and helping them to participate more effectively in society at large through SAORI weaving activities. Cooperating with "VSA arts (Formerly Very Special Arts) " (http://www.vsarts.org/), an international organization dedicated to providing educational and career opportunities through the arts for people with disabilities, SAORI HIROBA promotes activities around the world that help people with disabilities take a greater role in society.

For more information:
SAORI Homepage: http://www.saori.co.jp/
SAORI HIROBA E-mail Address: hiroba@saori.co.jp