Hush TeaBar is a social movement to bring the worlds of the hearing and deaf together.
HushTeaBar exists to provide the non-hearing impaired with opportunities to be TeaRistas, as customers sip a cup of tea in peace and quiet.
Kim Chong, an aspiring dog trainer who has been a TeaRista for seven months says that participants in TeaRitual sessions can enjoy tea tasting sessions, learn simple sign language and mingle with the TeaRistas.
“The social stigma which the hearing impaired face in Singapore is very strong. Being deaf, I find it difficult to secure and sustain a long-term job as most jobs require communication and engagement,” she says. “While we conduct TeaRitual sessions for clients, we serve them tea and allow them to experience what it feels to live in a world of silence.”
Jorena Tan has been a TeaRista for a year and dreams of becoming a model in future. She is grateful that Hush TeaBar provides the non-hearing with an avenue to do something meaningful and earn some income.
“This will help to raise awareness about the deaf and educate the hearing about the challenges they face. There are some misconceptions about the deaf. For example, people tend to assume that the deaf people can lip-read. This might not be the case. Depending on their degree of hearing loss, some might be completely deaf and not be able to lip-read,” she says.
You can also support Hush TeaBar through their Hush@Workplace and Hush@Community initiatives.
