Innovation

DIB (which stands for Disabled-in-Business) Restaurant Cafe is the first gourmet coffee restaurant which focuses on Western food and coffee in Malaysia whereby it is operated fully by deaf personnel, guided and trained by a few hearing coaches. DIB serves reasonably-priced cakes, desserts, sandwiches, pizzas, waffle and freshly-cooked soups. Order paper and pencil is used by customers to make an order as the café is operated by deaf employees. While waiting for their orders, customers can learn how to sign a variety of words like “cappuccino”, “espresso”, “more” and “thank you” which can be found at the back of the menu.

Inspiration

DIB was founded by Dr Allen Teh who used his income from his separate business entity to fund DIB, as he wanted to empower the disabled community especially the deaf. Dr Allen got inspired to start a business involving deaf community when he worked with the deaf at a fast food restaurant chain in the 1980s. “I was young, I was very vocal and the company’s management disliked me; I was ordered to work with the deaf, and, I had no such experience” says Dr Allen. Even though it wasn’t an easy experience to work with deaf people at first, Dr Allen explains “I had to train the deaf when I didn’t even know sign language but to my surprise, I fell in love working with them as they are a dedicated group”.

Dr Allen faced many challenges throughout his 6 years journey with DIB. It wasn’t easy for him at first when his family was less supportive over his business, but he struts on, with greater plans in store for the deaf community. “I was a regional human resource director and something inside me just wanted to help this community and I can’t turn back now,” he said. One of his main purpose to set up DIB was to reach out to parents of deaf children and to show them that their kids have potential.

Overall impact

Currently DIB have hired 6 staff and hoping to hire more staff in coming years. Those staff now lead colorful lives but are very diligent at work. They take their work seriously and are able to work independently. DIB’s vision in coming years are:

• To provide employment opportunities for disabled people, with good career prospects
• To provide skills-training to disabled people to become a professional Coffee Barista
• To provide operational and management training for disabled people to run and operate a Gourmet Coffee outlet
• To motivate, groom and coach disabled people to become business entrepreneurs, who will have the opportunity to own and operate his or her own DIB outlet, throughout Malaysia and even into other countries

Business benefit

All profits from DIB will be utilized to expand DIB by opening small shops or kiosks at Office Buildings or Shopping Malls to provide similar skills training and employment opportunities to other people-with-disabilities

Social and environmental benefit

DIB focuses on Goal 10 (reduced inequalities) of UN sustainable development goals. They contributed to the goal by giving job opportunities for disabled people without differentiating them with able bodied person in which it reduces inequalities.

Interview

Dr Allen Teh, Interview with Dr Allen