New Ukrainian bakery challenges negative Down syndrome stereotypes

Spring 2018 saw the opening of a new bakery in the Kyiv satellite town of Brovary that marks the latest stage in an ambitious initiative aiming to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome while challenging stereotypes about mental disability in Ukrainian society. Mental health remains a taboo subject in today’s Ukraine, with mentally disabled people often excluded from society or institutionalized. The 21.3 Bakery aims to change this by creating possibilities for people with Down syndrome and other special needs to gain employment and interact more meaningfully with society.