April Dream COCOLON's Dream: "Continuously Deliver Opportunities for Social Participation to Children with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities and Their Families."

Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO (Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, Chairperson: Erika Mori), which operates the community "COCOLON," will reaffirm its dream of "continuously delivering opportunities for social participation to children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families" on April 1, 2026, in support of the "April Dream" project implemented by PR TIMES Inc.

This release conveys COCOLON's vision for the future and its initiatives to achieve it.

The Reality Where "Going Out" is Difficult

For children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families, going out or participating in events is never easy. Due to complex factors such as medical care, transportation burdens, and a lack of diaper changing spaces, their contact with society is limited.

As a result, opportunities to "connect with others" and "experience new things" are being lost.

According to a survey on the living conditions of children requiring medical care and their families (2018):

・No opportunities for age-appropriate enjoyment or therapeutic education: 48.3%

・Unaware of support services/systems for children requiring medical care: 45.1%

・Extremely difficult to go out with a child requiring medical care: 65.3%

・Feel socially isolated: 51.3%

More than half responded that they "feel socially isolated," making it easy to imagine the difficulties of going out.

COCOLON's Past Initiatives

COCOLON was founded in 2023 as a community connecting children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, their families, and those who support them.

To date, we have held 81 events and seminars, both in-person and online, with over 2,500 participants.

30 groups participated in the inclusive sports day

Indoor cherry blossom viewing, difficult outdoors

In fiscal year 2025, we plan to provide over 30 events and seminars, offering both online and offline participation opportunities, creating an environment for "play," "learning," and "connection" regardless of region or physical condition.

Spreading the feeling that even with disabilities, "attractive experiences are possible" and "places to participate exist" is the core of COCOLON's activities.

The Future Envisioned as April Dream

COCOLON's dream is to realize a society where opportunities for social participation are commonplace for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families. We aim to provide many opportunities so that they can have special age-appropriate experiences, and that neither the children themselves nor their siblings and families have to give up saying, "We can't do it because of a disability."

Furthermore, we aim for this activity to become rooted in society not as a one-off event, but as a "mechanism that can be continuously accessed when needed" for families who find going out difficult due to barriers or who feel isolated. However, our efforts alone have limitations.

Night amusement park event for carefree play

Potato digging tour

To expand opportunities for social participation nationwide and develop them into a system that everyone can access as a matter of course, collaboration with diverse entities such as companies, organizations, and local governments is indispensable.

By combining their respective resources and expertise, it becomes possible to create opportunities and environments that could not be realized before.

COCOLON aims not to expand its activities alone, but to co-create "social participation infrastructure" with partners in each region and field.

Towards Realizing the Dream

Participation in this initiative is possible in various forms:

・Event sponsorship or joint project implementation by companies ・Demonstration and deployment in regions through collaboration with local governments ・Expansion of place-making through collaboration with organizations/facilities supporting children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities ・Participation in operation and support by professionals and volunteers

Cherry blossom viewing in collaboration with chefs and food texture processing specialists

Factory tour and experience with cooperation from a playground equipment company

Opportunities for social participation are not something provided by a select few, but something that society as a whole supports and continues to create. By getting involved from various standpoints, we can help expand opportunities for social participation for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families. COCOLON hopes to meet partners who resonate with this dream and will challenge together.

And together with as many people as possible, we will realize "normal social participation" for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families.

About Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO

Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO began operating "Cocone," a day care facility for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, in Tokyo in 2016. Currently, it operates three child development support centers and one after-school day service in Tokyo.

Leveraging its experience in supporting children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and their families living in the community, EPO has been operating the online community [COCOLON] since December 2023. We will continue to create an environment where children with disabilities, their families, and siblings can live with peace of mind, raise children easily, and participate in enjoyable activities.

[Chairperson, Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO] Erika Mori

Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO

Organization Name: Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO Location: Alpha Grande Shinozaki Nibangai 2F, 7-21-16 Shinozaki-cho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo Representative: Erika Mori Established: April 2015

【Business Activities】 Since 2016, EPO has operated "Cocone," child development support and after-school day services for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, supporting over 200 children to date. We operate four facilities in Adachi-ku and Edogawa-ku, Tokyo.

Additionally, we operate "COCOLON," an online community for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, their families, and supporters, which received the 19th Kids Design Award (Encouragement Award) and the Reiwa 7th Tokyo Women's Empowerment Grand Prize (Grand Prize).

Cocone HP: http://co-co-ne.jp COCOLON: https://co-co-lon.com

【Contact for this release】 Specified Nonprofit Corporation EPO COCOLON Secretariat e-mail: info@co-co-lon.com