Exploring TUCURU's Ishii: Tackling Employment Challenges for People with Disabilities

There are those who address employment challenges for people with disabilities through education.

This time, we interviewed Kohei Ishii, the representative of the Career Formation Support Project TUCURU.

Mr. Ishii is also a current special needs school teacher. He became a teacher to solve employment challenges he noticed while working as a manager at a special subsidiary company established to promote employment for people with disabilities.

Additionally, he founded TUCURU to act as a bridge between employment support offices, companies employing people with disabilities, and educational institutions.

We delved into the future that Mr. Ishii is creating through TUCURU and education.

1. What is the Career Formation Support Project TUCURU?

At TUCURU, we operate "TsunagiBA," a place where members can utilize their interests, mainly in Okayama Prefecture, and "OmoiBA Media," which provides information to educational and welfare fields and introduces employment transition support offices.

Mr. Ishii felt the need for closer collaboration between educational institutions, employment support offices, and hiring companies while working in disability employment, and thus established TUCURU as an environment to connect these three.

He named it TUCURU with the vision of creating a society where "people with diverse backgrounds can thrive."

Reference: TsunagiBA ~OmoiBA Media~ | Career Formation Support PJ TUCURU

1-1. A Society Where People with Diverse Backgrounds Can Thrive

[Interviewer (Writer): Akaishi / Interviewee: Mr. Ishii]

Akaishi: What exactly is a society where people with diverse backgrounds can thrive?

Mr. Ishii: My activities are not limited to people with disabilities.

I hope for a society where people, regardless of whether they have disabilities, can find their sense of purpose through their interests and strengths, coming from various backgrounds.

I believe it's necessary to have places where people can utilize their interests and strengths, aiming for a society where many can choose such stress-free environments.

Akaishi: What does a place of belonging mean to you, Mr. Ishii?

Mr. Ishii: I think a place where you can consult and feel safe is one aspect of belonging.

Additionally, what I aim for is a place where you can feel that your strengths are helping someone and where everyone accepts you as a member of society.

1-2. What is "TsunagiBA," Where Individual Interests are Utilized?

Akaishi: What activities does "TsunagiBA" involve?

Mr. Ishii: I feel that people with disabilities, supporters, schools, and welfare offices are connected but often can't speak openly due to conflicts of interest.

TsunagiBA aims to provide a third place free of conflicts of interest where everyone can come together.

As a place of belonging, we support individuals in starting projects and fulfilling their desires.

Akaishi: How are projects born?

Mr. Ishii: There are various patterns, but the most common is through casual conversations.

During the online chat sessions held every Friday, participants often express interests, and those who want to join in start projects together.

Members from special needs schools, by leading projects, have faced challenges but have shown significant changes, such as acquiring IT skills and thinking from others' perspectives.

Akaishi: Is there anything important when advancing projects?

Mr. Ishii: I always tell project members, "Don't overdo it."

The main goal is to improve our quality of life. I want them to advance projects not out of a sense of duty but with a feeling of excitement that makes them want to act.

2. Who is Kohei Ishii?

Mr. Ishii, who was an active soccer-loving youth, was inspired by the Southern All Stars in middle school and became passionate about drumming. After graduating from university, he was torn between becoming a teacher or a musician, ultimately choosing to pursue a career as a drummer until the age of 28 to avoid future regrets.

Let's delve into the roots of Mr. Ishii.

2-1. Transitioning from Musician to Special Subsidiary

Akaishi: Why did you quit being a musician?

Mr. Ishii: The reason I played drums was to inspire people and children I interacted with.

However, even while performing, I didn't feel like I was truly making anyone happy. I wanted to be in a position where I could contribute to society rather than just chasing ideals.

Having obtained a special needs school license at university, I wanted to expand employment for people with disabilities, so I joined a special subsidiary company promoting disability employment.

Akaishi: What sparked your interest in disabilities?

Mr. Ishii: During my teaching practicum at a support school, I first interacted with children with disabilities.

There was a child with a head injury due to self-harm, expressing themselves by hitting their head against the floor or wall.

This encounter was quite shocking for me, and I kept wondering, "What will become of these children in the future?"

Even during my drumming career, I visited special needs schools, and my curiosity grew. Upon researching, I discovered the lack of job opportunities and low wages, learning about these social issues for the first time.

I wondered if there was something I could do, which led me to my first job search at a special subsidiary company specializing in disability employment.

2-2. Realizations on the Frontlines of Disability Employment

Akaishi: What types of disabilities were common at the special subsidiary?

Mr. Ishii: Most were people with severe physical disabilities, working from home.

Working with people with disabilities for the first time, I noticed many had low self-esteem.

But I realized this isn't exclusive to disabilities. While disabilities may limit certain abilities, many employees struggled to focus on what they could do and view their capabilities positively.

Akaishi: Why did you transition to being a special needs school teacher?

Mr. Ishii: I questioned the low self-esteem of employees and realized it stemmed from not being challenged during their school years.

Teachers often judged based on their own perspectives, telling students, "You don't have to push yourself because you have a disability."

Conversely, those who were proactive and self-driven during their school years were very positive and engaged at work.

Thus, I identified challenges in expanding disability employment within the education system. By bringing my experience from the special subsidiary to schools, I believed I could better connect people with disabilities to society, leading me to become a teacher.

2-3. Values as a Special Needs School Teacher

Akaishi: What do you focus on when interacting with students as a teacher?

Mr. Ishii: I particularly focus on helping students realize things for themselves rather than just giving answers. Instead of directing, I encourage students to think for themselves during lessons.

Additionally, like TsunagiBA, I aim to create an environment that naturally fosters curiosity and encourages students' interests.

Akaishi: How do you create an engaging environment in your lessons?

Mr. Ishii: I teach students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Many students have daily interests. For example, one student loves elevators and often watches YouTube videos of doors closing.

For that student, I incorporate elevator illustrations into the materials, always leveraging students' interests in lessons.

3. A Future Where Interests and Strengths Can Be Shared with Peers

Akaishi: Can you tell us about the society you want to create in the future?

Mr. Ishii: Through TsunagiBA, I want to increase places where people can connect with peers through their interests and passions.

Specifically, I aim to establish bases nationwide by 2025. Ultimately, I hope to collaborate with local governments for operations.

By maximizing online resources, it would be fantastic to initiate projects with peers in Hokkaido or Tokyo while being in Okayama.

Akaishi: Lastly, could you share a message for those hesitant to take on challenges?

Mr. Ishii: If you're hesitant to take the first step, it's okay not to force yourself.

Eventually, you'll feel the urge to act at your own pace. When that time comes, I hope you'll explore online, join communities, and proceed at your own pace.

Don't rush; cherish your own feelings.

4. Conclusion

Mr. Ishii consistently values excitement.

There's no need to force yourself to tackle things you're not good at. By valuing your strengths and passions, you can positively perceive what you can do and grow with peers in a supportive world, which is "TsunagiBA."

If you're interested in employment support, please contact us via our website. You'll surely find a place where you can leverage your interests and strengths.

Official Website: https://sites.google.com/view/tunagiba/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CareerTucuru

This time, we introduced Mr. Ishii, who runs a community for people with disabilities. Ayumi also introduces communities for families with children requiring medical care. If you're interested, please check it out.

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