NPO EPO's 'COCOLON' Project, Promoting Social Participation for Children with Severe Disabilities, Completes 3-Year Grant Program

NPO EPO (Location: Edogawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Erika Mori) has announced that its community for children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities and their families, "COCOLON," has completed a three-year continuous grant project from the Suzaki Welfare Foundation.

Through this grant, we have successfully established a strong track record in creating opportunities for social participation for children with severe disabilities and their families, as well as supporting the launch of new facilities nationwide. We express our deepest gratitude for the warm support we have received and are pleased to report on our achievements over the past three years and our plans for self-sustaining business development from the fourth year onwards.

■ Background of the 3 Years and Our Challenges

Many "children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities" who require significant medical care live throughout Japan. However, opportunities for them and their families to safely and enjoyably visit places and connect with society remain limited. NPO EPO was selected for the Suzaki Welfare Foundation's FY2022 continuous grant. Driven by a strong desire to "increase the number of facilities nationwide where children with severe disabilities can enjoyably attend" and "create opportunities for social participation for children and their families," we have expanded and deepened our activities over the past three years, focusing on two main pillars: ① creating social participation opportunities for children with severe disabilities and their families, and ② providing hands-on support for launching new facilities.

■ Key Achievements and Outcomes from Verification over 3 Years

1. Events and Seminars: Establishing a Model of "Safety and Quality" over Quantity
Over three years, we held a total of 155 events and seminars, with a total of over 2,500 participants. While initially aiming for a higher number of events, we verified the importance of providing a "high-quality place where people can participate whenever they want, with safety as the top priority," rather than just chasing numbers. This allowed us to define a reproducible and sustainable optimal scale for event management.

2. Collaborative Event Case Studies with Companies and Organizations
In the final year, collaborations with numerous companies, experts, and local governments were realized, expanding our circle of activity to other regions.
- Dream Night at the Hanayashiki (Oct. 22): Co-hosted with certified NPO Florence and others. The Asakusa Hanayashiki amusement park was privately booked for the evening, with 42 families of children with severe disabilities participating, achieving a 93.8% satisfaction rate (supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Taito Ward).
- Tokken Factory Tour (Dec. 12): Collaborated with Tokken Inc. For the first time, we provided medium-distance transportation between Tokyo and Yokohama, enabling a painting experience at a playground equipment manufacturing plant.
- Original Stuffed Toy Workshop (Dec. 14): Collaborated with DFree Inc. This established a 'win-win-win' model for future fundraising, where the company gained PR footage, families participated for free, and COCOLON received sponsorship.
- Co-hosting Local Events (Kobe, Shizuoka): Triggered by increased recognition on social media, we began offering events in collaboration with local social welfare corporations and day-care centers outside the Tokyo metropolitan area.

3. Nationwide Hands-on Support for Launching New Facilities
In response to our goal to "increase the number of accessible places nationwide," we handled 12 inquiries and 9 initial Zoom consultations over two years. Our support in understanding regulations and business planning led to the opening of a total of four new facilities (Koto-ku, Tokyo; Kita-ku, Kobe; Kita-ku, Tokyo; Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka).
*Our support extends beyond just opening, as we promote a network where regions can connect and avoid isolation after launch, similar to our event co-hosting in Kobe.

■ Establishment of Social Trust (Award Recognition)

In the third year, the social significance and safe operational structure of COCOLON's activities were objectively recognized, leading to two major awards.
- [19th Kids Design Award, Encouragement Prize]: Judge's comment: "A field with high social needs. By holding events that actively encourage outings, it supports the active social participation of children with severe disabilities and their parents."
- [FY2025 Tokyo Women's Active Participation Grand Prize, Community Division, Grand Prize]: A unanimous decision for the grand prize. Advertising in the Nikkei newspaper and media exposure helped to visualize our credibility.

■ The Next Stage from Year 4: Outlook for Self-Sufficiency

We will continue to sustain and develop our activities independently as a "social participation platform that anyone can engage with when needed."

Strengthening a Sustainable Operational Foundation
While continuing to hold 30 events annually, we aim for operations that do not rely on grants by gradually reviewing event prices, clarifying programs for corporations, promoting individual donations, and acquiring commissioned projects from local governments.