A new and special café is set to open in central Nicosia early next year. Called the Blue Heart Café, it is a social enterprise created by the NGO Voice for Autism. Its main goal is to provide meaningful work for people with autism. This project is seen as an important step towards including more people in the economy. However, while this positive news is celebrated, many activists point out that people with disabilities in Cyprus still face major daily challenges.
The café has received strong financial support from the Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation, along with a government grant. It plans to employ ten people on the autism spectrum. In an exciting development, five of these autistic adults are also shareholders in the business. Eight people have already finished special training for their roles. Ellen Georgiou Pontikis, President of Voice for Autism, explains that the café is about more than business. “We’re not just serving coffee; we’re creating opportunities and impacting social change,” she said. Sponsor Andrey Dashin agrees, saying the project challenges "outdated thinking" to make space for talent that is often overlooked.
This hopeful story exists alongside a more difficult reality. Recent reports show that many Cypriots with disabilities deal with problems every day. These include buildings that are not accessible and a lack of support in important areas like education and healthcare. This shows a clear gap between official policies and the actual experience of disabled people.
Other recent events also highlight the situation. The Turkish Cypriot Disabled Solidarity Association held a large picnic for hundreds of people, showing strong community support. In another step forward, the Culture Directorate and the Cyprus Hearing Speech Impaired Foundation held a Turkish Sign Language seminar for National Library staff. The plan is to offer this training in other libraries from 2025, helping to break down communication barriers.
Together, these stories show both progress and ongoing struggles in Cyprus. The Blue Heart Café, supported by government offices, is a creative model for inclusion. Yet, the continued efforts of disability groups remind everyone that basic issues of access and equal services remain. The café’s success could inspire wider change, but true inclusion will require a deeper, lasting effort to remove all physical and social barriers in society.