Jamaican Teas creating career opportunities for the deaf

Jamaican Teas Limited has expanded its talent pool by hiring six members of the deaf community.

The company has taken an innovative approach to incorporating deaf culture that increases employment opportunities, as well as accessibility for persons who are deaf, while educating and enlightening the business community.

"We specifically recruit these persons because we know that they get extra preparation for the working world through places like the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) and the Abilities Foundation," said John Mahfood, CEO of Jamaican Teas Limited.

"The hearing-impaired employees occupy integral roles in multifunctional areas of the organisation, ranging from merchandising and cashiering at our supermarket to working on the production line in our factory," added Mahfood, who is encouraging other Jamaican companies to tap into a more diverse talent pool by hiring graduates of the JAD.

According to Mahfood, employers need to think creatively and be open-minded when recruiting disabled employees.

He said as the business community begins to open more doors to employment, the society at large will become more exposed to the talents and skills of these persons who, by example, can help to improve the attitude and performance of hearing staff, and over the long term, the productivity of businesses in general.

DEDICATED WORKERS

Norman Russel, factory manager at Jamaican Teas' Bell Road plant, said that it is a pleasure working with these deaf employees.

"The workers with hearing impediment are dedicated and determined. They work twice as hard as the hearing staff," said Russell.

He argued that they are talented at bridging communication gaps in everyday situations, such as influencing other staff members to learn Jamaican Sign Language.

There are three deaf employees at JRG Shoppers' Delite supermarket, a member of the Jamaica Teas Group located at Chancery Street, Meadowbrook, and Althea Morgan, store manager, is thrilled about working with them.

She explained that they are highly motivated and come up with solutions to problems based on insights unique to their experience.

"We have never got a complaint about the deaf employees. Our customers here are rather impressed that there is a deaf person on the front line," said Morgan.

Stavene Oakley, 25, is one of the three deaf employees at the company's supermarket - Shoppers' Delite. She has been working as a cashier for 10 months and says that interacting with customers daily, despite her hearing disability, has been the best aspect of her job so far.

COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS

Oakley says she finds communicating with customers quite easy, and uses creative ways to attend to their needs, leaving them often surprised that she is deaf.

"There are limited job opportunities for members of the deaf community in Jamaica, and I am happy that Jamaican Teas is accommodating people like me," said Stavene, using sign language.

According to Stavene, she plans to build a career at Jamaican Teas, "as there are opportunities for deaf people to grow here". More important, she encourages all deaf individuals to be positive in the pursuit of their dreams.

Applauding the support of Jamaican Teas, Kimberley Sherlock, executive director of JAD, said: "Members of the deaf community are skilled, as the only thing they cannot do is hear, and Jamaican Teas has provided an engaging space in which to showcase their skills."