KUALA LUMPUR: Starbucks has opened a café in Bangsar that is dedicated to employing baristas who are either hearing-impaired or totally deaf. It is an industry first among major fast-food franchises in Malaysia, in an effort to be more inclusive to those with disabilities. The initiative is in partnership with The Society of Interpreters for the Deaf (SID) to promote opportunities for the deaf throughout the country.
Customers will be able to order via sign language or through a digital kiosk where they can check their card balance for any rewards and request drinks. The barista will key in the order on a point-of-sale dual screen, so customers can double check that their beverage order – and name – is accurate.
Instead of hearing a name called out, customers can check a digital board display above the pick-up counter to see when an order is ready.
The idea for the initiative was seeded a year ago, when then-barista Muhammad Aizad Ariffin expressed a wish – to be the first deaf shift supervisor at Starbucks – in the company’s employer branding video. His drive and message inspired his colleagues, and sparked the move that should put Starbucks Malaysia on the inclusive employment opportunities map worldwide. Aizad is now the shift supervisor at the Bangsar Village II outlet. His next goal is to become Starbucks Malaysia’s first deaf Coffee Master.
On a recent trip to Disney World, 2-year-old Jack Jack, who dressed up as Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, and even Yoda, wanted nothing to do with any of the characters during his family's vacation. It was only Snow White, Jack Jack fell in love with, his mother says. Jack Jack was diagnosed with autism 2 weeks after that magical trip. His mother Amanda says Jack Jack is nonverbal and really shy around people he doesn't know.
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