Abstract
This paper makes a case study of the activities of Hisaichi-shogaisha Center (Support Center for the Handicapped in Kobe ), a volunteer group which was formed immediately after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, and has been assisting the self-determination of the disabled and has been trying to realize mutual support since its founding, thereby consides the process in which assistance for self-determination stemming from ‘spontaneous duty’ in Hisaichi-shogaisha Center shows a social extension evolving from a two-sided relationship the three-sided one.
In the support activities at Hisaichi-shogaisha Center, the relationship between a disabled person and the staff is not severed even in a difficult case. If trouble does occur, it is interpreted by the staff as an opportunity to form equal relations with the disabled by admitting each other's differences, and seen as a chance to train one another. In assisting self-determination, life goals and life style choiced by the disabled person are respected, and controlling their self-determination is prevented by applying a method I call “ loophole finding ” which does not conform to regulations of a system, or rules and manuals. Hisaichi-shogaisha Center staff do not sever relationships with disabled persons, and at the same time, keep the relationship open to others. This is the method of practicing support in a relationship of three based on complementary relationships among the various staff. In keeping the relationship between a disabled person and a staff of Hisaichi-shogaisha Center open to another staff as a third party, it promotes awareness of the limitations of one individual's ability to find a solution. This method is employed not only at the individual level, but at the organization level. By employing this method at the organization level, Hisaichi-shogaisha Center intends to form a network between support groups and to gain ‘the sympathy of the community’.
