A ‘special’ way to treat yourself

Begumpet: For whoever believes that the world of the deaf is completely silent, it's time you pay a visit to the Talking Hands restaurant at Begumpet. Vibrant with warm gestures and happy smiles of the specially-abled stewards, the eatery which is run by members of the Deaf Enabled Foundation is sure to make your day with mouth-watering varieties of Indian and Chinese cuisine.

Taking you closer to the lives of the disabled, the unique eating joint is the best way to explore the talent of the country's most ignored sections of the society.

Opened to the public in the month of August last year, the restaurant which employs around 25 deaf people including the waiters, the cashier, and the managers, is a brainchild of B Venkatesham, Secretary to Government of Telangana Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture Department.

"We had no idea of how to run a restaurant nor do we come from a business background. But the tourism secretary, who was impressed by our members after a programme at Ravindra Bharathi, asked Sandeep, our CEO to open a restaurant run solely by the deaf.

Though initially, I felt uneasy about the idea, it was Sandeep's determination which made us agree on experimenting it.

But today, we are both proud of the decision we took and are indebted to Venkatesham sir who planted the seed in our minds." shares Ramya Miriyala, the Chief Operating of Talking Hands.

Although the state government sanctioned 10 Lakh rupees for the project and gave them space at the Tourist Plaza to set up the restaurant, even members of the deaf community took it on their shoulders to pool funds for building up the eatery joint.

"Initially, it was very difficult for us to establish a communication link between the abled chefs with the deaf assistant chefs and the stewards. We used to train them every day for 1 month or so in mastering the sign language but their hands would not fold properly. Sometimes, they used to give up and say that they were being treated as school children but I used to boost their morale and put them back in the learning process.

But now the gaps seem to be bridging with a manager at the kitchen who translates the conversation between the staff and also thanks to the induction of technology." expresses Ramya.

Receiving love of several food lovers across the city for its hospitality and finger-licking desserts, the restaurant has been making headlines also for practically introducing its customers to the deaf culture.

"I have just returned from America and my friend had brought me here saying that I would be shocked that an entire restaurant is being run by deaf people.

But I was pleasantly surprised when the waiter displayed me cards that read the order, plain water, remove etc. Even the menu can be ordered in sign language or on a tab as per our convenience. It has been a delightful experience and I have enjoyed being a part of this abode of the specially gifted." gleams Maala, a customer.

From the elderly to the tiny tots, every consumer who comes to Talking Hands leaves with a not just a heavy stomach but also with a gleeful heart. "We don't want people to sympathise with our deaf staff but to recognize their effort and hard work. We want our customers to come to us because of the tasty food we offer.

We don't want to run it like a charity organisation but to compete as any plush restaurant serving the public for which we are doing all we can. In fact, we have been thinking of having technology like light signals which can inform the steward that they are called at a certain table to take the order or that which can directly display the order to kitchen staff.

But it will take some time as it involves a lot of investment and training." reveals the Chief Operating Officer who also hails from a family of the specially gifted. But to put it in a nutshell, Talking Hands is one place where even silences can speak and even the quiet walls have stories to tell!