THE FCSI INTERVIEW
at any time from the corner of his eye,” he explains. “The kitchen is far from the dining room, so we use lights over the bar and each waiter has a color that flashes when an order is ready.” “Even in a conventional restaurant, when service starts people usually use hand signals to communicate,” he adds. “We found that hearing impaired people are the best waiters because they are the best at talking with signs. They communicate clearly and rapidly and are better at managing the dining room.” Obeid is unlikely to stop his learning
journey any time soon. His renewed vigor and enthusiasm for inclusivity is still driving him onwards. In fact, his new ‘Join F&B’ project to bring an often invisible minority – physically disabled people – into the hospitality industry, was awarded first prize for innovation by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at its 2021 summit.
His hope is that it will not only bring
disability and deaf people as workers in hospitality is my passion,” Obeid explains. “I wanted to pursue that passion, so I recently took a PhD with the aim of finding solutions.” Studying at Montpellier University,
he not only furthered the idea of the modular kitchen, but also devised a way to create a more constructive relationship between hospitality employers and job candidates with disabilities. “Employers often equate disability with a permanent illness or do not understand it, so see it unjustly as a cost and the source of problems,” he remarks. “People with physical impairments often don’t go far in education, so find it hard to join the workforce. These two communities are looking at each other but are distant.” “So, I developed pictograms that identify the disability – for instance, a missing hand – and highlight the jobs that can still be done effectively by that person. Green means no obstacle at all,
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orange requires some facilitation, red is not encouraged. For recruiters, it shows the advantages a candidate can bring, not the disadvantages. It also helps disabled people feel included in an industry that is all about luxury, comfort and enjoyment.” Obeid is quick to cite examples of
physically impaired people who have achieved great success. For example, Jean Marc Berset is a Swiss motor- disabled pastry bakery professional and Olympic medal winner. Eric Beaumard, who lost his hand in a motorcycle accident at 18, has been voted best sommelier in France and Europe. French pâtissier and TV presenter Grégory Cuilleron was born with one missing hand. And the list goes on. Obeid is inspired by such people
and in 2018, during his PhD, he helped design a restaurant staffed entirely by deaf people. “It involved simple changes, such as a thin mirror on the bar, so the barman can check anything in the dining room
more disabled people into hospitality, but also spread the message about inclusivity among employers and consultants. “My latest experience of being ‘back at school’ showed me how far I have come compared to what I knew in the late 1970s,” he says. “Consultants have no choice but to adapt. It requires a lot of imagination, flexibility, training and agility.” “There are still two major obstacles
to overcome to incorporate inclusivity into consultants’ designs,” he adds. “The psychological one concerns trying first to eliminate all kinds of stigmatization, stereotypes and prejudices. Do not confuse disability with illness. The second is technical. Consultants should familiarise themselves more with disability and be more involved by understanding the requirements of disabled people.” Through his work, Obeid has turned his passion for people into concrete action that will undoubtedly transform the hospitality industry, not to mention the lives of many disabled people.
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