A cafe in the Philippines is helping its customers understand that it is “A-Ok” to be different.
Most of the waiters at the Puzzle Cafe in downtown Manila have autism — a neurological disorder that makes it difficult for them to understand and express their emotions.
The brightly colored cafe, with mismatched decor and a puzzle motif symbolizing the international sign of autism, has nine special-needs waiters working in hourly shifts.
Each of these servers wears an “I’m A-Ok” tag clipped to their aprons. They are usually accompanied by one of the regular employees who act as guides and mediators.
Puzzle cafe was built by Ysabella Canoy’s family for her brother, Jose, who was diagnosed with autism as a child. It was designed as a place where he could grow up in an adult setting.
Canoy, who has a degree in Special Education, currently runs the cafe with her siblings, keeping an eye out for her brother and his co-workers. Many customers have told her they admire the special-needs crew and appreciate their efforts to work.
“We want customers to come here for that specifically that experience of being around these individuals with special needs and to see that they’re capable of so much more than what their stereotypes say, that they’re just supposed to stay at home, that they’re supposed to be in extensive therapy, that they’re not supposed to be brought out in public – that’s the stigma that we want to erase,” Canoy said.
While regular chefs are in charge of cooking, the special-needs crew help with preparing and serving the dishes to the customers. Although they do not get paid for their work, the cafe passes them an allowance provided by their parents, the owner said.
Canoy admitted there were challenges in giving instructions to special-needs workers due to their level of comprehension often being similar to a child’s, but said the pleasure of seeing them grow and being able to pour a glass of water on their own was worth the weeks of effort.
One such server is Ramon Domondon, whose autism manifests in a speech impediment. He said he takes pleasure in cleaning tables and meeting new customers. “I am very happy because this… I am working,” he said.
The cafe only has a few customers at a time, allowing both regular and special-needs employees to concentrate on individual tasks.
Canoy said the cafe setting is perfect for people like her brother because it allows social interaction to take place in a relaxed atmosphere, crucial for people with autism.
The cafe attracts customers who had heard about it from social networking sites, and family members of people with special needs.
Georgina Go, one of the cafe’s customers, has a 20-year-old son with autism. She said the progress of the special-needs servers was surprising, and hopes her child can join the team.
“This is good, a good way for them to spend their time and be productive because otherwise you’ll just have all these kids sitting at home watching TV, vegetating, but they’re here, they’re making something worthwhile – doing something worthwhile with their time, so it’s very heartwarming for me as a mom with a special needs child,” she said.
The cafe opened in 2014, and has since garnered support from private groups and special-education schools to help train people with disabilities.
Abelardo Apollo David Jr., Executive Director of the Independent Living Learning Center, is one of the cafe’s partners. He has been advocating an alternative special education program focusing on practical job applications for his students.
He said his institution focuses on improving special-needs children’s quality of life by concentrating on practical life skills to become a functioning member of society.
“Work is very important because this is one of the life roles that adults typically assume and we don’t want our students with developmental conditions to be deprived of this opportunity,” he said.
The center claims that actual work can improve the students’ self esteem, enhance their social skills and enable self-reliance.
Most of the jobs in the center focus on administrative, clerical and service-oriented work which people living with special needs can individually excel in, he said.
David said private companies have employed these special-needs workers not just out of charity, but also due to their exceptional skills in a particular task. The challenge to that is finding the skill that can match the employer and employee’s needs, he said.
The World Health Organization defines autism spectrum disorders as a complex brain development disorder, characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and a restricted or repetitive sets of interests and activities.
It said that one out of 160 people has some form of autism, with various factors, both genetic and environmental, contributing to the cause. (Reuters)