A new and special café will open in central Nicosia early next year. It is called the Blue Heart Café. The café’s main goal is to give jobs to people with autism. The NGO Voice for Autism is leading this project.
The café will employ ten people on the autism spectrum. Five of these workers are also shareholders, which means they own part of the business. Eight people have already finished special training for their roles. The project has important financial support from the Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation and a government grant.
Ellen Georgiou Pontikis from Voice for Autism says, “We’re not just serving coffee; we’re creating opportunities.” Sponsor Andrey Dashin agrees. He says the project challenges old ways of thinking and helps people use their talents.
However, people with disabilities in Cyprus still face many problems. Many buildings and services are not accessible for them. Support in education and healthcare is often not enough. Disability rights groups say there is a big gap between government plans and real life.
In other positive news, a Turkish Cypriot disability group recently held a large picnic for hundreds of people. Also, staff at the National Library are learning Turkish Sign Language. This training will help deaf people use library services more easily. More libraries will start this program in March 2025.
The new café is a good example of social change. But campaigners say Cyprus still needs to do much more. They want to remove physical and social barriers so everyone can participate fully in society.