Channelizing our abilities can take us to new heights but, a little motivation and open avenues can help us all thrive. Similarly, autistic people are not disabled, they are capable of offering a lot to society. But, for that, we need to make them believe in themselves by providing opportunities and jobs. Sushama Nagarkar employed quite many autistic people when she started her tiffin service. She took another step ahead in 2018 and came up with Café Arpan.

If you ever visit Café Arpan in Mumbai’s Juhu, the staffs there will greet you with a smile and make your day joyous. The café is operated by differently abled people who work efficiently every day to make it a grand success.

Sushma is a single mother of two and her elder daughter is also autistic. She stayed in the US for several years and after returning back to India, she formed Yash Charitable Trust. It’s an NGO that aims at ameliorating people with developmental disabilities so that they become productive and confident in their own rights. And the cafe is an initiative of YCT. 

The condition of autism or down syndrome is often mistaken by people. Many of them feel that they need special care at every instance but, until and unless we give them a chance to be self-assured, they will remain confined only to certain things. Like Sushma, a lot of other people are doing commendable works to help autistic people and we hope others too come forward.

Image Courtesy: Cocktail Zindagi