Tuesday marked a day of pride and celebration at Sagar Express Café, situated on the premises of the Delhi High Court. The café’s 10 neurodiverse employees received their first paycheques from the acting Chief Justice, Manmohan, just a month after Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud inaugurated the establishment.
One of the employees, 22-year-old Rhea Rathi, was overwhelmed with emotion as she held her first salary envelope. “Papa, I did it. This is my first salary,” she said tearfully, waving the envelope towards her father, Jatin Rathi as reported by the Economic Times. He embraced her, saying, “You will reach greater heights. This is just the beginning.”
The café, an initiative born from a collaboration between the High Court Bar Association and the Shaurya Foundation Trust (SFT), was conceptualised by senior High Court advocate Ravi Gupta and the chairman of SFT. It is an outlet of a popular South Indian restaurant chain and provides employment to neurodiverse individuals in roles such as cashiers, servers, managers, and sales associates.
A notable feature of the café is the “Silent Roar” initiative, where non-verbal staff members use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices such as tablets or laptops to gather customer feedback. This technology enables them to communicate through speech, images, and other tools, making the workplace inclusive and efficient.
Parents of the employees also shared their pride. Anju Mittal, whose son Varun Brij (24) manages the bain-marie station, said, “He is good at singing and computers too. He is a highly energetic and creative individual. He has to go miles, he says.”
For 24-year-old Sabhya Mathur, who works as a cashier, the day was an occasion to celebrate. “I am so happy today. I want all my family members and friends to gather and celebrate this milestone with me,” he said. His father, Shivain Mathur, expressed pride in his son’s accomplishments, adding, “It’s a big achievement for the family, a feeling of pride. There were a lot of struggles, hurdles and roadblocks. But we always had faith in our son.”
Sagar Express Café stands as a testament to the potential of neurodiverse individuals, giving them a platform to showcase their abilities while fostering inclusivity within the workplace.
Insights from agencies
