'Mapo Nuguna Cafe' Opens in Mapo District Office Basement to Support Independence of People with Disabilities

Co-Representatives with Disabilities Directly Operate the Cafe
Mayor Park Kangsoo: "I Hope for a Society That Understands and Embraces a Slower Pace"

Mapo District in Seoul (District Mayor Park Kangsoo) has established the 'Mapo Nuguna Cafe' on the first basement floor of the Mapo District Office to support people with various types of disabilities in developing their employment and entrepreneurship skills and achieving independence. The opening ceremony will be held on August 6.

Park Gangsu, mayor of Mapo District Office, is inspecting the interior of the 'Mapo Anyone Cafe' and checking the facilities. Provided by Mapo District Office.

The 'Mapo Nuguna Cafe' is a self-supporting cafe where people with disabilities directly participate in operations, gain practical experience, and share profits. Its goal goes beyond simply providing jobs, aiming to create a foundation that can lead to actual entrepreneurship.

Whereas existing vocational rehabilitation facilities have mainly focused on providing a stable working environment for people with developmental disabilities and supporting their social participation and economic independence, this new cafe is distinguished by offering practical opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, hearing, and physical disabilities, through hands-on experience.

The cafe is operated by the Mapo Disabled Persons Association. Four co-representatives with disabilities, selected regardless of disability type, will officially begin working after an initial probationary period. They will gain practical experience in all aspects necessary for starting a business, such as beverage preparation, customer service, and accounting management, and will receive a share of the profits. To ensure stable operations, a dedicated manager will be on site, and a cooperative system will be established with related organizations such as the Mapo District Vocational Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled and the Mapo Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled.

In addition, the cafe space has been designed as a barrier-free environment to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Features such as under-counter legroom for wheelchair users and barrier-free kiosks have been installed so that everyone can use the cafe conveniently.

Park Kangsoo, Mayor of Mapo District, stated, "The Mapo Nuguna Cafe will provide people with disabilities with opportunities for independence and a space where they can directly gain experience in entrepreneurship. As people with disabilities are directly participating, service may be somewhat slower, but I hope that as more such establishments appear, our society will become one that understands and embraces this slower pace."