Le Figaro Nantes
Le Reflet (in Nantes), Cafés Joyeux... Nicolas Mainguy and Célia Baril have noticed: restaurants employing disabled people are multiplying on the market. They do not hesitate to welcome these initiatives.
“It has to exist,”
they assure, reached by telephone. But they want to take a step aside, through their future inclusive bakery. Their objective will be to employ three autistic apprentices, in order to give them a springboard towards inclusion in an ordinary environment.
“In September, my boss decided to sell his bakery, and the idea took root
,” says Nicolas Mainguy, a baker for 20 years. As for his wife, she has worked for almost 25 years as a specialized educator,
“mainly with
autistic people
, more or less autonomous”
. She noticed that the world of work could be difficult for them to access, due to concerns or prejudices. The couple in their forties are all the more familiar with the subject as their eldest, aged 18, is himself autistic.
A jackpot
All these elements have led them to work on their project for several months. They have already found a place. If they wish to remain discreet about it, they can however say that the business will be located in Saint-Nazaire (44), not very far from the town of Saint-Malo-de-Guersac where they live.
“We decided to set up in a large city so that the apprentices could travel themselves
,” explains Nicolas Mainguy, referring to public transport.
In addition to the banking partners and the organizations and foundations they solicited, they launched a pot open to the general public three weeks ago in order to raise €30,000. They hope to be able to open their bakery in January 2025, in order to welcome apprentices with autism spectrum disorders from July.
“We want to have six months to reassure the workers
(the professionals who will support them, Editor’s note)
and adapt the store to all types of disabilities
. ”
In addition to personalized monitoring with designated spaces or a suitable cash register, the place of sale will be designed to be accessible to all. Some labels may be in Braille, there will be no music and some sellers may be trained in sign language.
With tools, adapted organization and support, young autistic people can train and work in an ordinary environment.
Célia Baril, specialized educator and leader of the inclusive bakery project
Through this project, Nicolas Mainguy, who received a departmental gold medal for the baguette tradition in 2018, wishes to pass on his artisanal passion while contributing to better integration of young people into the mainstream environment. His wife wants to demonstrate
“that with tools, adapted organization and support, young autistic people can train and work in an ordinary environment”
. At the same time, she is launching an association to support young people which could, in the long term, be used for other businesses. The initiators of the project are not afraid, and this
“despite the economic situation of the price of electricity in bakeries”
. Their goal is to live from their structure which will be called L'Évidence, in reference to the philosophy of a
“place where difference becomes obvious”.
According to their research, this is the first inclusive bakery concept in France. This is already being done in Belgium or Quebec. They really hope to be able to make employers want to subsequently hire their apprentices. While waiting for the project to start, they are looking for volunteers who have time to help them. To contact them: celiabaril@yahoo.fr