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Kitchen lights up for deaf chefs - Times LIVE
Strobe lights, chalkboards and special culinary sign language have turned an ordinary hotel kitchen into a first-of-its-kind, deaf-friendly facility.
Leading hotel group Southern Sun has taken on the challenge of developing the culinary skills of hearing-impaired aspirant chefs with the installation of a state-of-the-art kitchen, specially tailored to their needs.
The pilot project - which has been running for four months at its new Garden Court Umhlanga hotel - has changed the lives of four deaf Durban youngsters Fani Fani Chiya, Bo Tasker, Xolisa Busha and Lelethu Gwacela.
While the kitchen includes all the features of a professional facility, it also has in place mechanisms designed to accommodate these special needs.
Apart from training 48 staff members in basic sign language, the kitchen team has developed its own signs for specific kitchen equipment and they use chalkboards too.
But most important are the strobe lights which have been installed to communicate instructions. A red light, according to the hotel's head chef Gary Opperman, signals an emergency and fire evacuation. These have been placed throughout the hotel.
A blue light flashes every 20 minutes to remind the chefs to sanitise or wash their hands and an orange flashing light - turned on by a waiter - indicates an order is waiting to be processed.
A flashing green light, from a deaf chef, tells the waiter an order is ready.
The hotel also has an interpreter on hand to communicate with the four when they receive training.
The trainees' applications for the positions were facilitated by the KwaZulu-Natal Deaf Association (KZNDA), which encourages young deaf people to make their mark on the world.
Opperman said he was impressed with his trainees' commitment, and the hotel's general manager, Clifford Campbell, said the success of the new system depended on "teamwork, a common 'language', mutual understanding and respect"
KZNDA head Dale Schoenwolf said: "This is an awesome project. We are pleased to have people in the open labour market."
Strobe lights, chalkboards and special culinary sign language have turned an ordinary hotel kitchen into a first-of-its-kind, deaf-friendly facility.
Leading hotel group Southern Sun has taken on the challenge of developing the culinary skills of hearing-impaired aspirant chefs with the installation of a state-of-the-art kitchen, specially tailored to their needs.
The pilot project - which has been running for four months at its new Garden Court Umhlanga hotel - has changed the lives of four deaf Durban youngsters Fani Fani Chiya, Bo Tasker, Xolisa Busha and Lelethu Gwacela.
While the kitchen includes all the features of a professional facility, it also has in place mechanisms designed to accommodate these special needs.
Apart from training 48 staff members in basic sign language, the kitchen team has developed its own signs for specific kitchen equipment and they use chalkboards too.
But most important are the strobe lights which have been installed to communicate instructions. A red light, according to the hotel's head chef Gary Opperman, signals an emergency and fire evacuation. These have been placed throughout the hotel.
A blue light flashes every 20 minutes to remind the chefs to sanitise or wash their hands and an orange flashing light - turned on by a waiter - indicates an order is waiting to be processed.
A flashing green light, from a deaf chef, tells the waiter an order is ready.
The hotel also has an interpreter on hand to communicate with the four when they receive training.
The trainees' applications for the positions were facilitated by the KwaZulu-Natal Deaf Association (KZNDA), which encourages young deaf people to make their mark on the world.
Opperman said he was impressed with his trainees' commitment, and the hotel's general manager, Clifford Campbell, said the success of the new system depended on "teamwork, a common 'language', mutual understanding and respect"
KZNDA head Dale Schoenwolf said: "This is an awesome project. We are pleased to have people in the open labour market."