KFC rolls out Indian Sign Language training for all its employees, a first in hospitality

Team L&M

ahead of the International Day of Sign Languages (September 23), KFC has made a giant stride in the hospitality industry by becoming the first QSR in India to launch a Sign Language training program for 100 per cent of its employees. The first-of-its-kind training would be undertaken by all 17,000+ KFC employees, spread across 240+ cities in 1200+ restaurants, as well as those working in the brand’s corporate offices.

Designed in consultation with a Sign Language expert, the online training covers multiple modules specifically crafted for a beginner to grasp the basics of ISL. The first module is focused on the alphabets in ISL, while subsequent ones focus on greetings and regular phrases that are key for holding a conversation in Sign Language. The training is part of KFC India’s Kshamata program, which is aimed at feeding people’s potential, and bridging the gender and ability gap. Through Kshamata, KFC is committed towards empowering women and the speech and hearing-impaired across restaurants; and aims to double the number of speech and hearing impaired (SHI) employees, by 2026.

This year, as an extension of the #SpeakSign campaign, KFC aims to bring the entire hospitality industry together with the launch of India’s first interactive Sign Language kiosk that allows individuals to learn to order their favourite food items from across brands & cuisines using Indian Sign Language. This exhibit was unveiled at Select CityWalk, New Delhi and Ambience Mall, Gurugram, inviting consumers to learn to sign 30+ popular food items like Pizza, Burger, Dosa, Momos, Pasta, along with KFC favourites like Hot & Crispy, Chicken popcorn, Zinger.

KFC launches India’s first interactive Sign Language kiosk

Speaking about the initiative, Moksh Chopra, General Manager, KFC India & Partner Countries, said, “Through our KFC Kshamata program, one of the areas of focus has been to help unlock the potential and opportunities for the Hearing-impaired community. One of the most important steps towards this is spreading the usage of Sign Language and since 2021, our annual #SpeakSign campaign focuses on enabling this goal. This year, we are proud to announce that 100% of our teams will be trained in basic Indian Sign Language, making our restaurants across the country more inclusive. We’re also taking this Sign Language movement beyond just our organization into the hospitality industry. With the interactive kiosk at popular locations, we’re encouraging consumers to learn to order their favourite food items across brands using Sign Language.”

KFC India’s franchise partners Devyani International Limited (DIL) and Sapphire Foods India Limited (SFIL) have played an integral part in the Kshamata journey.

Says Pradeep Das, CEO, KFC at Devyani International Limited (DIL), “All of us at DIL are proud partners of KFC’s Kshamata initiative. Bridging the ability gap is critical to creating accessible and inclusive workplaces. The rollout of Sign Language training is a forward-thinking approach which will help ensure that we’re fostering an environment across all our restaurants and offices where speech and hearing-impaired individuals, whether teams or consumers, can interact confidently.”

Added Deepak Taluja, President & CEO-KFC at Sapphire Foods India Limited (SFIL), “Creating a culture where everyone feels valued is at the heart of SFIL, and all of us are extremely proud of the KFC Kshamata initiative. The rollout of Sign Language training for all employees is a significant step, and shows how small but powerful changes can help businesses foster truly inclusive environments. We at SFIL are committed towards feeding people’s potential with KFC Kshamata.” The interactive kiosks are available in Select CityWalk, New Delhi & Ambience Mall, Gurugram till September 21.

Consumers can visit any of the 54 Special KFCs (operated by speech and hearing impaired employees) on International Day of Sign Language on September 23, and learn to #SpeakSign with team members as they encourage communication in ISL. Special Sign Language buckets and Sign Language menus have also been created to help consumers learn how to sign and order their KFC favorites, along with short tutorial videos on KFC’s social media channels and website.