I mentioned, in an earlier post , the Coco Farm & Winery in Ashikaga, Japan. The winery is unique in that it is made up of over 100 employees who have developmental or cognitive disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders…
…As touched upon at the start of the paper, the economy of Coco Farm has a different basis than that of modern society which rests on making more, working faster, and generating greater efficiency. [Noboru Kawata, the founder of the winery in the 1960s,] says, “It seems to me that we are pursuing maximum efficiency in everything, and shunting aside those who cannot keep up with the pace of others in the competitive labor force–which will not lead to human happiness.” Coco Farm’s wine-making is the polar opposite of pursuit of profit at the expense of humanity, and is economic activity that places humans at the center. In this way of thinking, the well-being of the laborers takes precedence over efficiency. In other words, sacrifices in the present for the sake of the future are not made, and each person’s ‘here and now’ is given priority…
…Another staff member said, “That’s okay if people are not able to perform heavy labor; there is definitely something at the school that the students should be doing at this moment.” At Coco Farm, one can say that human beings are not made to fit the economy, but that there is an ‘economy with a human face’ being realized in which the economy is made to fit human beings …
Similarly, in my post from yesterday, Erik’s Ranch & Retreats also sees itself as doing something truly innovative in the model it is developing in its Minnesota and Montana locations…
…the difference/richness/shift in thinking of our model, which is a departure from the norm. Rather than teach young adults with autism one skill and then send them out to try to use it, we look at their inherent skills, build on those and let individuals expand on or diversify their skills. Young adults who live at Erik’s Ranch & Retreats will not only have a lifetime home, they will run the guest accommodations, interacting daily with voluntourists from all over the country and the world and continue to learn new recreational and occupational skills on a regular basis.
We will work with these young people to develop their abilities and skills and to use them. They are, in essence, learning to be self-sufficient in a world of their choosing. It’s all any of us could ask for, and it’s all every one of us deserves.
Using the special interests and splinter skills of Autistic individuals for ‘tour guide work’ is certainly novel…
…Here is an example of how our model works. One parent told me that her son raises crickets and grasshoppers. “What can he do with this?” she asked. We hit upon the perfect idea. Combine an entomology exhibit with a trip to the Yellowstone River; a fly-fishing Mecca. He can discuss caddis flies and mayflies and the history and science behind fly fishing. This tour has a stellar future. Guests receive essential information; he shares what he loves and is paid for his expertise. These kinds of opportunities can encompass almost any talent/skill if we just think creatively. It’s unfair not to explore what these individuals can do.
If I may be so trite, this is thinking outside the box in a big way. This model hasn’t been explored before; it’s a paradigm shift that is timely and relevant…
(sources: http://www.nier.go.jp/hidekim/ESD/BenevolentEconomy.pdf ; The Sincerest Form of Flattery: A Model that Works Erik’s Ranch & Retreats ; Vocational Rehabilitation: Transition to Productive Models for Adults with Autism Erik’s Ranch & Retreats )