Who they are
Stichting Bruggenmakers is a Dutch charity (ANBI-registered) that describes its mission as reducing the gap between individuals and society by promoting inclusion, understanding, and cooperation. It creates opportunities for people with migration backgrounds, neurodivergent individuals, and others distant from the labour market, through education, employment, and community initiatives. Bruggenmakers is the institutional home for the Sensonate programme, including its internationalisation and knowledge infrastructure work. This wiki — Umwelten — grew out of that work, though it has since become an independent project.
Vision
“Een inclusieve en verbonden samenleving waarin iedereen gelijke kansen heeft om te groeien en bij te dragen, ongeacht achtergrond of omstandigheden” — an inclusive and connected society in which everyone has equal chances to grow and contribute, regardless of background or circumstances.
Programmes
Bruggenmakers runs a portfolio of programmes, each with a distinct focus but sharing the same inclusion-through-participation framing:
- Sensonate — sensory processing knowledge and tools for autistic people with and without intellectual disability. Originally developed within the SGL research project at UMCG TGO and previously stewarded by NVA; now being internationalised under Bruggenmakers. The Umwelten wiki is produced within this programme context and hosted under Bruggenmakers.
- TalentTwist BV — employment agency specialising in job placement for neurodivergent individuals and autistic people.
- Autcraft Nederland — a Minecraft server designed as a safe, fun, and supportive environment for children and young adults on the autism spectrum. The Dutch counterpart to the original international Autcraft project.
- Thuiszitters & Education — addresses students who have dropped out of or been excluded from the standard education system.
- STEM Projects — education initiatives including a STEM museum for children, playground-based learning, and school innovation.
- Social Inclusion Projects — intergenerational partnerships connecting elderly residents with primary schools.