Across China: Mentally disabled fight prejudice at China restaurant

Waiter Xiao Bo carries every dish with extra care, greets guests with a broad smile and stands at attention by the kitchen door even when there is no chore at hand.

The 22-year-old with an intellectual disability did not receive much schooling and never imagined he would hold a job.

His mother encouraged him to try his luck when she heard a new restaurant was recruiting waiters and mentally disabled people could apply.

The Forrest Gump Restaurant in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, has hired 12 mentally disabled workers alongside other employees to take orders, serve food and clean.

The restaurant was named after the memorable character played by Tom Hanks in the film "Forrest Gump."

"We hope to create opportunities for the mentally disabled, so that they can earn a decent living and become respectable men just like Forrest Gump," said restaurant owner Hu Yanping, a Changchun-based businesswoman who has supported more than 100 mentally disabled young people over the past 23 years.

The 600-square-meter restaurant is her latest undertaking to support them.

Xiao Bo is one of 12 mentally disabled trainees Hu has recruited. Ranging in age from 20 to 60, they have an average IQ of around 60 and the lowest has an IQ of 40. They wear black T-shirts, which distinguish them from other employees who wear red or white.

In the first weeks, each of them is accompanied by a mentor, who teaches them the basics of their job and gives a helping hand when necessary. They work three to four hours a day and are paid 300 yuan (48.4 U.S. dollars) a month during the training period, with free meals and lodging.

A week into his training, Xiao Bo has learned to set tables, take orders, serve dishes and sweep the floor.

"After three months' probation, their pay will at least double," said Hu, who has opened a bank account for each of them. "I hope they will learn to spend money rationally and sparingly and eventually provide for themselves."

By creating jobs for the mentally disabled, Hu said she was fighting a prejudice.

"Many people think it's okay for a physically disabled man to work in a wheelchair, but it's not okay for a mentally disabled man to do the same job even though he's physically healthy," she said.

It can take patience for diners to appreciate the service provided by these enthusiastic, if sometimes inexpert, waiters.

If he feels he has not greeted guests properly, the restaurant's host, a young man nicknamed "Kuai Le," may ask them to walk from the entrance to their table a second time so he has another chance to be more hospitable.

After waiter "Da Zhi" took an order one day, he forgot to pass it on to the kitchen. The guest waited for an hour before Da Zhi realized his mistake.

"Most of the guests were tolerant and did not complain," said Hu. "Many said they are willing to come back to see how well the waiters are doing and support my business."

She expected the restaurant to run at a loss in the beginning. "But hopefully things will get better in the long run," Hu said.

Hu, 42, is from a peasant family in Jilin Province and began to eke out a living at 17, selling porridge, pickles and snacks at a food stall near Changchun railway station.

Her business expanded in the 1990s and the stall became a restaurant. Vagrant children, most of whom were mentally disabled and wandered near the railway station, would beg her for food, and her restaurant ended up as a free canteen for them.

Hu's infant son, who was born with Down syndrome in 2001, survived only seven months. When she recovered from the blow, she began taking in the street children, most of whom have intellectual disabilities.

In 2010, she spent 4 million yuan building a nursing home for the children. She provided food and lodging for them and financed schooling for older children who were able to learn.

"I hope they will all learn to earn a living by themselves," said Hu.

Currently, the nursing home houses 48 mentally disabled people, mostly youth. Endi