In September, the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled asked Vidya Sagar to vacate the space, saying the contract signed in 2022 had expired on 31 August.
Published Nov 25, 2025 | 12:53 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 25, 2025 | 2:45 PM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated the cafe in 2022.
Synopsis: The cafe doubled as a community hub and vocational training unit. Operated through a collaboration involving the Department for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled, Vidya Sagar, an NGO, and the Foundation for Vocational Programmes Trust, it had Winners Bakery offering specialised hospitality and baking training.
Museum Cafe, a fully accessible, disability-inclusive space housed atop the Museum of Possibilities in Chennai’s Lady Willingdon College campus, has got a fresh lease of life.
The cafe, run largely by persons with disabilities (PwDs), was initially asked to close as the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled reportedly intended to repurpose the premises for office use.
The cafe’s manager, Arun, told South First on Tuesday, 25 November, that the authorities have allowed it to continue operations for the time being.
Inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin in 2022, the cafe doubled as a community hub and vocational training unit. Operated through a collaboration involving the Department for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled, Vidya Sagar, an NGO, and the Foundation for Vocational Programmes Trust, it had Winners Bakery offering specialised hospitality and baking training.
Under a one-year National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)-aligned course, trainees undergo six months of theory at Vidya Sagar and six months of hands-on practice at the cafe. Sixteen students have completed the programme so far, several of whom now work in mainstream restaurants, while one has set up an independent venture.
In September, the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled asked Vidya Sagar to vacate the space, saying the contract signed in 2022 had expired on 31 August, reports said. The cafe was given 60 days to vacate the premises.
Disability-rights groups pointed out that the cafe had become a widely used barrier-free space — one designed down to the smallest detail to accommodate varied disabilities. For many wheelchair users and other PwDs, it functioned as a social and cultural space, otherwise hard to find in the city.
However, some other disability-rights groups raised a different concern: accessibility also means affordability. They argued that many visitors to the Commissionerate were working-class PwDs who may not be able to afford the cafe’s Western cuisine.
They demanded simple, reasonably priced South Indian dishes that make the space more inclusive and supportive of the everyday needs of the community.
Arun, Manager of the Museum Cafe and Winners Bakery, said officials have now asked them to pause the closure. The cafe remained shut on Tuesday due to its weekly holiday, but staff were informed that operations could continue for the time being.
“Officials have now instructed us to temporarily hold the closure process,” he said, indicating a temporary retreat from the earlier directive.
The Commissionerate has not issued a formal clarification.
While the cafe is expected to continue operations, questions over its future remain unanswered. Stakeholders said any decision should consider both the functional design of the space and the livelihood opportunities it enables for persons with disabilities, while also addressing affordability concerns raised by sections of the PwD community.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
