'These people are equal and should be accepted': First-of-its kind café at YVR champions neurodiverse staff
Nestled inside the domestic arrivals hall of the Vancouver International Airport, a novel business offers travelers a caffeine fix, snacks and a chance to make a positive impact in a stranger’s life.
It’s been a busy opening week for staff at Paper Planes Café, a social enterprise created in partnership with the Pacific Autism Family Network that trains and employs people who are neurodiverse.
YVR is believed to be the first Canadian airport with a social enterprise of this kind.
“An airport is an important part of people’s lives, it’s a place of connection. The fact that we can create connections through employment with people in our community who just need the opportunity and need the support so they can prosper, I think that’s exactly what an airport should do,” says YVR CEO Tamara Vrooman.
Paper Planes Café will have between 12 to 15 trainees, aged 18 and older, who will each work at the business for a maximum of six months. In the majority of cases, this will be the first work experience for café staff.
During that period, participants will be paid a living wage while developing skills needed in the workforce, with the goal of finding future employment elsewhere at YVR.
One 21-year-old trainee who asked that CTV News only use her first name, Rahma, hopes she’ll land a job at Starbucks once her term is up.
“I like making coffee best. It’s more relaxing because I’m not a talker,” she says. After three days on the job, she says she’s enjoyed her time with fellow employees and customers, describing everyone as “good” and “respectful.”
Considering the fact that the airport employs 26,000 people, Vrooman says it’s well equipped to provide employment opportunities to neurodiverse folks.
“We’re facing a changing labour market in this country and the airport is not immune to that, so we thought ‘What if we were able to kind of put our money where out mouth is?’” Vrooman explains. Rather that just training existing staff that have diverse needs, YVR decided to work with PAFN to train new employees in order to showcase the employment potential of the neurodiverse community.
According to YVR data, up to 10,000,000 people pass through the domestic arrival area annually, so the potential of this café’s staff won’t go unnoticed.
PAFN CEO Sergio Cocchia says the concept is about more than raising awareness—it’s about championing acceptance.
“We need everyone to understand that all these people are equal and should be accepted. There should be no difference when we’re served by a neurodiverse or neurotypical person,” says Cocchia.
However, he acknowledges that the café will be the first time many travellers interact with a neurodiverse cashier or barista.
“Maybe that gives them a second to pause and think ‘You know, I’m doing a good thing; I’m being a part of something good; I’m helping someone that could use that little boost to get on their life voyage,’” Cocchia says.
He’s also hopeful the café will inspire other employers to provide work opportunities for this segment of the population.
“They’re the most loyal employees in the world, they’ll show up every day to work with a smile, so you want to make sure you find a way to tap into that,” says Cocchia.
The café is being applauded by Coast Mental Health, which runs a similar social enterprise in downtown Vancouver—Social Crust Café & Catering—that offers culinary training to people who require more work flexibility due to mental illness and addiction recovery.
“The Paper Plane Café is a fabulous idea,” CMH senior manager Susan Hancock writes in an email to CTV News. “Establishing a social enterprise at YVR sends a positive message to tourists and visitors that Vancouver values and encourages inclusive and welcoming communities.”
Inclusivity is both the goal of the café and the source of inspiration for its name, according to Cocchia.
“The paper plane is something that has a beautiful trajectory –but it needs that little push, that first little launch, and that’s what this place is about,” he explains.
“It’s helping these young people realize, ‘I can fit in anywhere. I’m working at a major Canadian airport in this beautiful space and people love me and they give me tips and everyone is happy with me.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for life of prime minister who was shot
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.