Pic story: Silence Coffee and hearing-impaired baristas

Staff members Yao Yixuan, Wang Lichao, Cao Ruihua and Li Tao (from L to R) pose for a photo in Silence Coffee in Xincheng District of Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 1, 2020. Silence Coffee, a coffee shop opened in Xi'an more than two months ago, is also a business incubator established for disabled people. Three of the four staff members in Silence Coffee are hearing-impaired baristas. They communicate with customers with sign language or typing on cellphone. Working on two shifts, all four members carried out routine work in the coffee shop including coffee making, baking, guest receiving and cleaning. Wang Lichao, manager of Silence Coffee, has learned sign language so as to better guide and "speak" to her colleagues. Wang always encourage them at work but also gets serious when problem occurs. Luo Tian, principal of Kaiyue Vocational Training School and person-in-charge of Silence Coffee, plans to recruit some new staff members every six month in the future, though the coffee shop is still operated at a loss. Since now the shop has become a leisure place for many, Luo hoped that more disabled people could get the opportunity to learn skills and socialize with others in Silence Coffee. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)