Miss-Delectable
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Deaf but his message of hope rings loud and clear
BEING deaf was a big obstacle to Mr Ser Wee Tak getting a job - even though he had all the requisite paper qualifications.
The 29-year-old wanted to give up many times but, each time, his wife was there by his side.
Describing her as his pillar of strength, Mr Ser - via e-mail messages and scribbled notes throughout this interview - said:
"Whenever I feel sad, she encourages me to go on and to never give up."
His wife, a 29-year-old account executive who is also deaf, was his classmate in primary school. They started dating 10 years ago and got married in 2007.
He said: "Most of my job applications were declined...although I met their academic requirements, because many companies were not equipped to accommodate workers with special needs."
He got his break when KFC Singapore offered him a crew position - manning a cashier's counter and working at the cooking station - in 2005.
Last year, he was promoted to shift manager in the deaf-operated outlet of KFC in Jurong West.
He said: "I was delighted... (that) KFC did not disqualify applications from the physically-challenged.
"It has given me the opportunity to prove to myself that I am as capable as any normal person."
KFC became an ambassador for the deaf in 2004, and aims to create job opportunities for them and to promote deaf awareness here.
Currently, it has about 60 deaf employees.
In collaboration with the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), it was the first fast-food chain in Singapore to start an outlet operated by deaf staff in Toa Payoh Lorong 1 five years ago.
Now, there are two more such restaurants in Fu Chun Community Centre in Woodlands, and Nanyang Community Club in Jurong West.
Mr Ser said his work at KFC has helped him learn to adopt a positive outlook and to be patient in overcoming challenges.
He first found out he was deaf when he was in kindergarten, at the age of six.
He is now completely deaf in the right ear and can hear only faint noises through his left ear.
"I can hear loud noises sometimes. It comes on and off," he said.
As for his future, he foresees a promising career with the fast-food restaurant.
His wife is his source of motivation. "I will work hard to get promoted to the next level and support her," he said.
BEING deaf was a big obstacle to Mr Ser Wee Tak getting a job - even though he had all the requisite paper qualifications.
The 29-year-old wanted to give up many times but, each time, his wife was there by his side.
Describing her as his pillar of strength, Mr Ser - via e-mail messages and scribbled notes throughout this interview - said:
"Whenever I feel sad, she encourages me to go on and to never give up."
His wife, a 29-year-old account executive who is also deaf, was his classmate in primary school. They started dating 10 years ago and got married in 2007.
He said: "Most of my job applications were declined...although I met their academic requirements, because many companies were not equipped to accommodate workers with special needs."
He got his break when KFC Singapore offered him a crew position - manning a cashier's counter and working at the cooking station - in 2005.
Last year, he was promoted to shift manager in the deaf-operated outlet of KFC in Jurong West.
He said: "I was delighted... (that) KFC did not disqualify applications from the physically-challenged.
"It has given me the opportunity to prove to myself that I am as capable as any normal person."
KFC became an ambassador for the deaf in 2004, and aims to create job opportunities for them and to promote deaf awareness here.
Currently, it has about 60 deaf employees.
In collaboration with the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), it was the first fast-food chain in Singapore to start an outlet operated by deaf staff in Toa Payoh Lorong 1 five years ago.
Now, there are two more such restaurants in Fu Chun Community Centre in Woodlands, and Nanyang Community Club in Jurong West.
Mr Ser said his work at KFC has helped him learn to adopt a positive outlook and to be patient in overcoming challenges.
He first found out he was deaf when he was in kindergarten, at the age of six.
He is now completely deaf in the right ear and can hear only faint noises through his left ear.
"I can hear loud noises sometimes. It comes on and off," he said.
As for his future, he foresees a promising career with the fast-food restaurant.
His wife is his source of motivation. "I will work hard to get promoted to the next level and support her," he said.