Echoes Cafe is managed entirely by the hearing and speech impaired.
Highlights
- Echoes Cafe in Satyaniketan is run by the speech and hearing impaired
- This inspiring video shows how the cafe is managed
- The servers use sign language and flashcards to serve customers
As we clicked on the play button for this video, we reached for the earphones instinctively - until we saw a disclaimer saying, "You don't need sound to watch this video." It makes sense, since the video is about a cafe in Delhi that is run by the differently-abled. Echoes Cafe, in south Delhi's posh Satyaniketan neighbourhood, is an eatery with a difference, making a difference. Managed and run by people who are hearing and speech impaired, it gives them an opportunity to integrate into society.
A two-minute-and-20-second video shared by a Facebook page called 101 India explains how the cafe is ingeniously managed. The brainchild of Kshitij Behl and Shivansh Kanwar, customers at this cafe can order by flipping a switch on their table, which lights up a bulb on the counter so waiters know which table they need to attend to. They can then write down their orders and use flash cards to communicate about things like asking for the bill or saying thank you. The heartwarming video has inputs from servers at the cafe who use sign language to talk about their experience. "Now we are confident and we know we can serve anyone," signs one waiter, smiling.
The video has been shared over 12,000 times and has over 6 lakh views. In a welcome surprise, all the comments on it are encouraging. Many have praised the initiative and many more have made plans to visit the cafe. Watch the video below:
Do you have plans to visit the cafe? Let us know using the comments section.