Social Cooperatives and services for people with disabilities: building participation and generating connections for more inclusive communities

The article explores and problematises the issue of participatory processes within socio‐educational‐health services for people with disabilities, managed by social cooperatives (CS). The introductory analysis on the world of social cooperation highlights the current weakening of some distinctive elements that have characterized its growth and development, such as territorial roots and proximity to the needs of the population, greater autonomy in entrepreneurial strategies, the ability to attract new resources to the territory and generate social capital. This is accompanied by reflection on the in‐ clusive challenge that characterizes services for people with disabilities, urged to enter into osmosis with the surrounding community. Subsequently, a qualitative research is illustrated which involved the coordination figures of a network of social cooperatives in the province of Padua, the outcomes of which have highlighted contexts with a good capacity to generate participation. Overall, it emerges that CS are called upon to take on the civil representation function with greater force, a place that co‐produces innovative services by identifying, among the priorities, that of strengthening their role as connectors, aggregating individual needs and expectations through shared projects among the different stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their families.