We want to introduce this Center because we believe it should inspire others to create similar workshops. These are places that respond directly to the needs of disabled people—young and old, men and women—whom we all know. They also seem to us to represent the right kind of collaboration between private enterprise and public administration.
We first learned about the Craft Workshop of Bastia Umbra by chance at a meeting in Rome. Was it a public service? It certainly appeared to be, but what caught our attention most was the collaboration mentioned in their brochure: between the Craft Workshop, a cooperative called A.S.A.D., and the health authority "ULSS Valle Umbra Nord."
The collaboration was real. We could see it immediately when we visited the four bright, modern workshops in Bastia, lined up one after another in a recently built neighborhood. From outside, the whole setup looked warm, inviting, and peaceful.
Inside, we found the same welcoming atmosphere, plus impressive organization, equipment, and quality workmanship.
We greeted everyone and found it a pleasure to feel the calm, focused energy of people at work. We spoke with the center's director, who is part of a lay Christian community that came from Brazil about twenty years ago. The text that follows, from the center's own brochure, describes its history and organization in a few clear words.
History of the Center
The craft workshops began in 1974 as a support service for family groups caring for former patients discharged from the Psychiatric Hospital.
Over the years, the center evolved. In 1980, responsibility passed from the Provincial Administration of Perugia to the ULSS "Valle Umbra Nord" in Assisi.
From 1984, the service has been run by the Social Services Cooperative A.S.A.D. of Perugia under a formal agreement.
When younger people with various disabilities began attending, new needs emerged and led to a complete reorganization of the service.
Activities expanded and diversified, increasingly becoming a multipurpose center for work and leisure.
Alongside the three original workshops—weaving, leather work, and bookbinding—a fourth workshop was added for toys, straw, and copper. In 1988, a dining and recreation area opened. That same year, a technical team of staff members from the Social Service, the Mental Health Center, and the ASAD Cooperative formed to establish procedures, attendance guidelines, and individual programs for participants.
Organization and Activities
The Craft Workshop currently serves 40 users aged 16 to 80, drawn from across the ULSS Valle Umbra Nord territory.
The center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a lunch break and recreational activities from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Transportation to the center is provided for all participants.
Meals are prepared by a local catering company that has an agreement with the ULSS.
The workshops are staffed by 9 instructors and 3 dining area assistants.
The workshops are self-funded through the direct sale of products at the Via Petrarca location and at a sales showroom.
Revenue is distributed among participants after expenses (insurance, taxes, and VAT) are deducted.
The craft work in the four workshops rests on two principles: every piece must be doable and marketable. This allows everyone to express themselves according to their abilities, building on what each person can do, while respecting individual pace and rhythm.
Through work, the center aims to encourage social connection and help people achieve the greatest possible independence—both personal and relational. Equal importance is placed on the recreational space, which offers both indoor and outdoor activities: cultural programs, games, celebrations, guided visits, outings, and a summer stay.
Behind these simple, clear statements lies a whole life of work and collective activity. The quality of life we observed and felt was no accident. Everything is thought through, prepared, and carried out with skill and care.
As an example, we've highlighted below this year's activity plan for one of the workshops. It's part of a broader project shared with parents at the start of the year.
Parents meet throughout the year to discuss matters that affect them directly. They also volunteer during the sales events, taking shifts to help. They are working toward forming a proper Parents' Association.
We encourage anyone who can to visit this Center and to buy—or order—products from the workshops. To arrange a visit or get more information about the Craft Workshop, contact the director:
Paola Abuo, A.S.A.D. Cooperative staff member — Via Petrarca, 20 — Bastia Umbra — tel. 075/81.39.744.
or the social worker:
Anna Castellini c/o Mental Health Center — Bastia Umbra — tel. 075/81.39.738.
1995 Program
Bookbinding Workshop
Main objective: To restore a sense of belonging and participation in society—that is, to help participants:
— feel useful
— have a space for self-expression
— be accepted for who they are and what they can do
Intermediate objectives:
INDEPENDENCE: Self-awareness and awareness of others
COMMUNICATION: Ability to manage oneself, to express one's thoughts; skill in giving and receiving messages
SOCIALIZATION: Ability to learn the rules necessary for living together
Work objectives:
— Develop each person's abilities to the fullest
Methods and activities:
— Encourage conversation, drawing on lived experience
— Listening skills: watch films together to create topics for discussion and to understand the messages they convey
— Build a basic critical awareness
— Use break time to foster communication and constructive togetherness
— Learn the calendar and read short texts and stories
— Take occasional outings as transportation allows
— Plan a shared trip with the other workshops
— Help participants recognize what they are accomplishing
— Teach the techniques and skills needed for the work—offer support to overcome difficulties and obstacles
— Build responsibility for a successful finished product.
— Nicole Schulthes, 1995