Empowering the gifted
Design studio set up by person with disability helps give wing to creativity among hearing-impaired
Wearing a mask in this new norm might pose just a slight inconvenience to most people, but this practice has inadvertently created another hurdle for the hearing impaired like Cai Zhengjun.
“Shanghai is a fast-paced city and many locals speak so quickly that it’s rather difficult to read their lips,” he quipped.
“The epidemic has made the situation even worse. Now, with people wearing masks, we can’t even see their lips.”
Cai lost his hearing when he was just 18 months old, the result of a high fever and an allergic reaction to the penicillin, which was prescribed to him. Having lived most of his life in near complete silence, the 35-year-old is well aware of the emotional baggage that comes with this condition.
He recalls having suffered from selfesteem issues when he was a child, and how attempting to communicate with others became a daunting affair.
Fortunately, his parents were determined to see their son equipped with the necessary life skills needed to lead a normal life. Cai, however, did not understand the support they provided.
“They kept insisting on oral training so that I could speak coherently, and I hated it. It was only after many years that I realized what they were trying to do — they just wanted to make sure that I could survive in this world when they depart from it,” he said.
Today, Cai’s role has changed from a silent observer in life to a source of empowerment for his fellow hearingimpaired peers.
At his art studio LFORU, which is located on North Zhongshan Road in Shanghai, only hearing-impaired individuals can be found working behind the counter.
Besides floral and graphic designs, the studio also produces scented products, candles, leather and an assortment of other handicrafts. There is a monthly creative meeting where Cai
instructs his staff to create specific designs. Every person here is free to create whatever he or she desires.
“I want my colleagues to do whatever they like. I believe this is how they can produce their best work,” he said.
“Hearing-impaired people also have their advantages. They tend to be more focused and serious about matters,” he added.
“Sometimes, we’re able to do things even better than others, but it takes a lot more effort for us because of this communication barrier.”
The idea to start the studio was born from Cai’s own struggles with his hearing loss.
After graduating from the Shanghai Institute of Technology in 2007, Cai landed himself a job as a graphic designer. While the role was a perfect fit for his skill set, the job requirements quickly turned his career into a daunting experience — he needed to communicate with clients frequently.
Cai tried to get around this problem by having his colleagues handle the phone calls. But his manager soon discovered what was happening and insisted that he personally manage
the clients. Determined not to let his disability affect his career, Cai did as he was instructed with the help of a hearing aid.
The intensive workload soon took a toll on his health. In 2014, Cai’s hearing had deteriorated so badly that his doctor advised him to take a break. This got him thinking about other career options.
A year later, Cai chanced upon a florist owned by an old French couple during his travels to France.
“They took such good care of the flowers. It was the first time I learned that flowers could be so beautiful,” he said.
Deciding to explore the possibility of opening a florist business in Shanghai, Cai started working as a part-time designer at the 105 Blooms Flower Shop during his rest days.
To pick up more professional knowledge, Cai signed up for preliminary training for the US Certified Floral Designer qualification examination in 2018. He received his certification a few months later.
In 2018, Cai and a classmate from college, Xu Xudong, who is also hearing impaired, set up LFORU with the aim of creating a community for people with the same condition.
Their first employee was Wei Wei, a native of Liaoning province who was laid off from his job in an animation production company in Shanghai because of his inability to communicate well with his colleagues.
Today, Wei is in charge of making the scented candles at LFORU.
The next hire was 29-year-old Liu Rongfang from Meishan in Sichuan province, who joined the team last year.
For Liu, getting to work at LFORU is akin to a dream come true. She said that though she has always harbored a passion for the arts, her college teacher discouraged her from majoring in this subject as a career in this field would require much communication with others.
Liu ended up majoring in food instead.
“I felt sad but didn’t know what to do. I even wanted to quit school. But I thought that I should stick to it since I had applied,” she said.
After graduation, she worked as a typist in a company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Her colleagues, she recalled, were incredibly caring. But their good intentions ultimately proved to be too stifling and even hurt.
After years of working in the company, Liu departed for Shanghai where she sought to do something different. She soon learned of LFORU from Wei.
Despite having been a typist for years, Liu has been prolific in her creative endeavors at LFORU. Besides designing, she also handmakes crafts and communicates with clients. Cai has even labeled her as a “one-woman army”.
Running a business is never an easy thing. Running a business staffed by only deaf individuals often makes things even harder.
According to Cai, communicating with clients often involves writing their messages down on a piece of paper or on mobile phones. While some customers are happy to accommodate, others would get impatient and leave.
This obstacle to communication has also made expanding their clientele difficult. Cai said most of LFORU’s clients were introduced by friends. Others were attracted by their promotions on social media platforms like Weibo.
The team’s resilience has evidently paid off as business has been brisk. During the recent Spring Festival holiday, every member had to get up at 5 am to complete the deluge of orders that were received.
Their most recent project involved setting up a stall that showcased their works in Shanghai Tower.
None of them have any qualms about the hardships endured.
“We need to gain our clients’ trust. For some of them, this is the first time they are working with a hearingimpaired vendor. We have to work harder to show the clients that we can do things just as well as normal people,” said Cai.
Looking ahead, Cai said he is planning to expand his operations to an office that is about 10 times larger than the current studio.
“I hope to have more hearingimpaired people join our ranks and grow in self-confidence.”