Like an accomplished barista, Melvin Sii, 37, expertly manoeuvres a silver pitcher with his left hand as he pours milk into a cup of latte, drawing the shape of a heart.
Melvin has a hearing disability and he is the assistant outlet manager of Foreword Coffee’s newest branch at Temasek Shophouse.
Just a year ago, Melvin was finding it difficult to use the knobs on the coffee machine and milk frothers, when he first started working with the social enterprise cafe.
That is because he suffers from a weak right hand.
When the cafe’s directors, Lim Wei Jie and Nadi Chan, found out about this, they decided to get an automatic milk frother and a new coffee machine, one that uses a switch that can be flipped easily.
Foreword Coffee was one of the case studies featured in a guide that was launched on Monday (June 17). The resource aims to help employers redesign jobs to cater to people with disabilities.
Called the Job Redesign Guide for Inclusive Employers, it provides companies with information on what job redesign is and how to implement it.
The guide was developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and SG Enable, a government-linked agency that supports disabled people. There are other case studies of organisations that have successfully redesigned jobs, specifically for employees with special needs.
LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE
Melvin, who used to work at a mobile-phone shop for 13 years, was recommended to Foreword Coffee by a friend. He felt isolated and did not communicate much in his previous job, but has since been able to interact more with his colleagues at Foreword Coffee, some of whom have also started to learn sign language.
Another member of the service crew, Carmen Tan, had trouble at first working as a cashier.
The 23-year-old, who has autism, said: “I had difficulty using the buttons, but after practising, I can remember how to use them. They (the two directors) helped me, too.”
Having worked in two other jobs before, Carmen said that her year working at Foreword Coffee has been the most enjoyable.
Read more here.
Source: TODAYOnline, 17 June 2019