German MEP full of praise for Cope Foundation  Cork coffee shop project  

A VISITING German MEP has praised a University College Cork based Cope Foundation initiative that provides employment opportunities for people with a disability.

Katrin Langensiepen was joined by Ireland South MEP Grace O’Sullivan on a visit to the Roots coffee shop at UCC, during which Ms Langensiepen said the project was a positive example for other EU countries to follow.

The Roots coffee shop was set up in the spring of 2020 by the Cope Foundation to provide training opportunities and work experience for young people in Cork city with an intellectual disability and/or autism.

Located in ‘The Hub’, the university’s busy student centre, Roots UCC is the second such facility to have been opened by the foundation following the establishment of the first Roots coffee shop next to the Beech Hill Garden Centre in Montenotte back in 2018.

Ms Langensiepen, the only female member of the European Parliament with a visible disability, was visiting Roots UCC as part of a tour of European countries to see what life is like for people with disabilities and what services are available to them.

She was clearly impressed with the facility, which has seen up to 70 people supported by the Cope Foundation gain valuable work experience and skills since it opened its doors.

“No one country in the EU is perfect when it comes to employment for people with disabilities but some perform better than others,” said Ms Langensiepen.

“Roots is a fantastic project that allows people to go out to work on their own and we need to encourage and fund similar projects EU-wide,” she added.

Sentiments echoed by Grace O’Sullivan, who said a lot of people need to change their perception about what a person with a disability is capable of. “Roots demonstrates than brilliantly,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

“These sorts of spaces have such a benefit to the whole of society too, creating a fantastic community space that is welcoming and nurturing for all. Well done to all the team who set up the project and have kept it going over the last few years.”