{"id":4607,"date":"2021-01-14T20:18:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T18:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityconnect.co.za\/?p=4607"},"modified":"2021-01-14T20:18:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T18:18:31","slug":"i-love-coffee-breaking-down-barriers-between-the-hearing-and-the-deaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/14\/i-love-coffee-breaking-down-barriers-between-the-hearing-and-the-deaf\/","title":{"rendered":"I Love Coffee – breaking down barriers between the hearing and the Deaf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI Love Coffee is a coffee shop that breaks down barriers between the hearing and the Deaf. It\u2019s more than a space. It\u2019s about mindset. It\u2019s about changing a view of a disability that it isn\u2019t in fact a disability, but more of an opportunity, uncovering the wonderful world of the Deaf culture.\u201d These are the powerful words of I Love Coffee<\/a> founder Gary Hopkins who launched Cape Town\u2019s first Deaf-run coffee shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This proudly South African social enterprise educates and employs Deaf youth to become baristas, chefs and all things hospitality. The organisation is impact focused, exclusively employing Deaf youth as baristas, chefs and kitchen staff.  This ensures not only their job readiness, but also sustained career development. The specialist skills training provided by I Love Coffee lays the foundation for a future career within the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u2019s more than a space. It\u2019s about mindset. It\u2019s about changing a view of a disability that it isn\u2019t in fact a disability, but more of an opportunity, uncovering the wonderful world of the Deaf culture.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We chatted to Gary to find out about I Love Coffee\u2019s origins, goals, impact and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A problem, a hunch, a solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gary is a problem solver by nature. When he discovered that around 80% of Deaf adults were unemployed, largely because our sign language is not recognised as an official language, he decided to find a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had a hunch that coffee would be an easy way to bridge the communication barrier \u2212 and he was right.  Since the first caf\u00e9 opened in 2016, I Love Coffee has been making a huge impact on the communities it serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like any good leader, Gary is humble enough to listen to and learn from his team.  \u201cAt the beginning, we thought our job was to teach Deaf people how to make coffee, but over the years the business has adapted as we have learnt from our staff,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding the right people<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I Love Coffee holds regular Open Days, which enables potential trainees to see the staff working in all areas of the business and experience the training rooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom there we select candidates who recognise that I Love Coffee is a place of learning.  We don\u2019t hire people who \u2018just want a job\u2019.  We employ staff who want to learn skills to empower themselves and make a difference in their communities,\u201d says Gary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The training programme<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur trainers not only teach hard skills, but they also serve as role models so that our trainees learn the soft skills to enter the open work force.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt school, most Deaf learners are taught by hearing teachers who aren\u2019t fluent in Sign Language. Their ability to learn is limited to how well their teacher can sign.  We break that cycle in that the majority of our training is in Sign Language,\u201d explains Gary <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barista training is the first step as it\u2019s a great way for the trainees to build confidence and learn how to interact with customers. They\u2019re assessed after three months and those who show interest and are suitable are given the opportunity to move into other areas of the business, such as the kitchen or roastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur trainers not only teach hard skills, but they also serve as role models so that our trainees learn the soft skills to enter the open work force.  As much as we try to hire everyone ourselves, our longer-term view is to train Deaf staff for other companies,\u201d he says.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caf\u00e9 experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to order a cappuccino using South African Sign Language.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are always surprised by how many ways there are to communicate with a Deaf person,\u201d observes Gary, adding that the rule of thumb is to always make and maintain good eye contact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the caf\u00e9s, there are various ways for customers to communicate with staff. These include point-to menus, writing their order down or using wooden blocks etched with various orders, such as \u201ccappuccino\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TVs also play short videos<\/a> that teach customers basic signs for coffee and tea, as well as please and thank you.  \u201cWe\u2019ve found that customers love to learn to sign and soon progress from signing \u201cflat white\u201d to signing their names and communicating with our staff,\u201d says Gary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that \u201cit\u2019s also important to note that we don\u2019t believe in taking someone from a marginalised community and putting them in a marginalised job.  All our cafes are fully integrated so customers are free to interact with Deaf or hearing staff.  Even our hearing staff members have learnt to sign.  Most customers tell us they view us no differently to any other coffee shop in terms of service and quite enjoy the quietness of our spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employment challenges for Deaf people<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asked about the challenges deaf people face when looking for employment, Gary shares that only one out of three Deaf South Africans is functionally literate. This is due to the lack of access to quality education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He notes that deaf learners have the potential to be educated equally. Unfortunately, many receive primary and secondary education in technical subjects only, which excludes them from tertiary education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSociety\u2019s poor perception combined with general lack of self-efficacy create barriers to employment.  There are many other reasons but until more Deaf schools take on Deaf teachers, employment will always be an uphill battle,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Gary wants employers to know about hiring Deaf people<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest myth we need to dispel is that you need to hire an interpreter if you want to employ Deaf staff. Deaf people live most of their lives without an interpreter at their side, so the notion that they need one at work is absurd,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWherever we place staff we offer sensitisation training as a service to break the ice, so to speak.  This includes ensuring that the work environment is adapted within reason for a Deaf person \u2013 clearing lines of sight, for example \u2013 and teaching the basics around Deaf culture and some sign language.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest myth we need to dispel is that you need to hire an interpreter if you want to employ Deaf staff.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gary stresses that Deaf staff should work in inclusive environments and that companies looking to fill a sheltered employment position at the back of a factory should not hire a Deaf person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeaf people are keen workers and eager to learn.  If you hire hearing staff with limited education, there\u2019s no reason to exclude Deaf people on the same grounds,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Visit I Love Coffee at 103 Garfield Road, Claremont , Cape Town.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s next for this impressive social enterprise? \u201c2021 is the year we move our training up a gear or two. We are also hoping our SETA accreditation comes through,\u201d explains Gary, adding:  \u201cWe have a stronger focus on manufacturing and this year we will be growing the wholesaling of coffee beans and certain food lines.  Last year we were selected to be part of Zero Project (zeroproject.org) which helps business with a focus on people living with disabilities replicate their impact in other parts of the world.  All in all a very interesting year lies ahead of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impact in action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more we understood Deaf culture \u2212 the social challenges facing the Deaf and the barriers to integration \u2212 the greater our impact has been. Overcoming the language barrier is no longer our biggest challenge.  Instead of dealing with the symptoms of the problem, we empower our staff to address the root of the problem in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cDeafness isn’t a disability. It’s a culture and a community. This is I Love Coffee.\u201d These are the first words you see upon opening I Love Coffee\u2019s website and they sum up the ethos of the brand and its impact perfectly. Deafness is a culture and a community, and so is I Love Coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI Love Coffee is a coffee shop that breaks down barriers between the hearing and the Deaf. It\u2019s more than a space. It\u2019s about mindset. It\u2019s about changing a view of a disability that it isn\u2019t in fact a disability, but more of an opportunity, uncovering the wonderful world of the Deaf culture.\u201d These are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43,50],"tags":[39,248,249,145,250],"class_list":["post-4607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graduates-learnerships-workplace-readiness","category-job-profile","tag-disability","tag-gary-hopkins","tag-i-love-coffee","tag-south-african-sign-language","tag-training-for-the-disabled"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}