Bakery and Tokyo Vocational Center

On Tuesday visited the Swan Bakery. Founded by the late Mr Masao Ogura, who founded the Yamato Delivery service. This place mostly employs person with intellectual disabilities who works as bakers, chefs, cashier and waiters. It has 26 branches all over Japan providing employment to 280 PWDs. Key points there to making PWDs a reliable work force there:

1. Praise them from day one
2. Not to give orders
3. Let them choose by themselves

I think that's quite similiar to self-advocacy! haha Another thing is they dun promote that PWDs are working in the shop. Customer comes in to buy food like going into any other shops which is good....not charity based but a real business.
Yes...those are really PWDs working behind the counter....and a few others baking at the back.
Can you see my saliva drooling......can't wait to buy the breads.....the smell is fantastic!

Matsuura was very happy. She also can't wait to buy the bread......

Explaining to Kiran what is what.....

There's Prof. Ogawa on the left (he's one of the committee member who's in charge of this course) and on the right behing Kiran is Mr Ayumu Kaitsu, CEO of this Swan Bakery. Gave him my card and asked him to come and visit UV to give us advice on how to expand our bakery. hahahaha

After Swan Bakery, we went to the Tokyo Vocational Center at Ueno. This center serves the people living in Tokyo. They offer training and a "return-to-work" training for those who has mental disabilities who had to take long leave due to illness.

Training how to sort out key chains into different sizes and colours.

This is the evaluation room for vocational counsellors to evaulate a PWD.

Matsuura explaining how to use the device.

Me trying the er.....device. I think I past! hahahaha

Another device....