BREWING INCLUSION! I Love Coffee & InSignLanguage redefine Deaf Inclusion in Hospitality!

Imagine yourself walking into a coffee shop, you expect the aroma of freshly roasted beans, the sound of milk steaming, and the interaction of a friendly barista. But for I Love Coffee Roasting UK Ltd., a company with roots in South Africa, coffee is more than a drink—it’s a platform for inclusion, empowerment, and an impactful social change.

From South Africa to the UK: A Mission with Purpose I Love Coffee began as a South African social enterprise with a bold mission: to train and employ Deaf individuals as baristas, creating life-changing career opportunities. Now, with its expansion into the UK, the company is bringing this mission to new communities—opening doors for Deaf individuals in the hospitality and retail sectors. But entering a new market came with its own challenges.For the Deaf community in the UK, employment opportunities can be scarce. Only 37% of people who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language are employed, a stark contrast to the 77% employment rate for non-disabled individuals. This disparity is a significant barrier which underscores the barriers Deaf individuals face—not just in recruitment, but in everyday workplace inclusion.*

They faced a unique challenge of scaling recruitment and training for Deaf candidates, building real-time access to qualified BSL interpreters, engaging subject matter experts who don’t use BSL, designing a business model that didn’t rely on full-time onsite interpreters, ensuring ongoing operational support in busy, customer-facing environments. I Love Coffee was featured in the major news outlets and had a significant media coverage when it launched in the UK.

Creating a Bespoke Playbook for Inclusion – Multiple Partnerships in Action

The project had a successful outcome of launching 3 locations across the UK, 6 Deaf baristas trained over 1200+ hours with 24/7 Video Relay Service access.

In 4 weeks, this strategic collaboration allowed Deaf baristas to undergo intensive induction. Training covered everything from customer service standards and health & safety procedures to hygiene and professional development. Daily follow-ups, powered by InSignLanguage's Video Relay Services (VRS) platform and interpreter coordination, ensured that communication was seamless and that any operational issues were resolved in real-time. There was an immediate operational success with full trained Deaf baristas, government funding to provide interpreter or accessibility services to remove the cast barriers and strengthened partnerships with WeWork.

This initiative is a powerful example of how a purpose-driven business can thrive by embracing inclusivity. By removing the barriers to employment, I Love Coffee Roasting is not just serving coffee; they are brewing a better future for the Deaf community in the UK and bridging the communication gaps and opportunities.

I Love Coffee, InSignLanguage, and WeWork have shown what’s possible when accessibility isn’t an afterthought when it is built into the foundation of a business. For the Deaf community, this is more than a cup of coffee. It’s visibility, opportunity, and empowerment.

And for the wider retail and hospitality industries? It’s a call to action: to reimagine and redefine what inclusion can look like, one barista—and one coffee—at a time!! *RNID