Hello Chef, thanks for doing this! Short version of my question: are there any openings for jobs in the food industry for people with disabilities? Are we wanted in the professional kitchen, or elsewhere in the industry? Can we work with food professionally?
Long version: I'm 23 years old, and I'm sort of at a crossroads in life. I'm pretty passionate about cooking, and though the learning never stops for anyone, I wish it's a skill more people had. Lately I've been contemplating seeing if I could get into the food industry (because an arts degree probably isn't going to treat me particularly well!). However, I have a disability – spastic diplegia, assymetric type. It mostly just affects my legs.
The result is that by and large my feet and legs will tire out faster than the average joe, and my walking speed is a bit slower than most people's (though in a kitchen I don't feel it's significant, I'm mostly talking about outdoors). I also have minor impediments to my fine motor skills, though not to a huge degree – it's just that my 'skill ceiling' is lower than most would be. I can still mostly peel vegetables and grate cheese just fine, I think my dicing and chopping just needs practice like anyone else. All in all I have to admit I'm pretty lucky as far as the severity of my disability goes.
The leg and foot pain and tiredness are the main things, and they're an additional barrier to entry on top of learning to deal with kitchen heat. For a profession infamous for its long standing hours, I worry it might be a problem, and that something like culinary school would be an utterly wasted investment.
I am aware you've worked with chefs with disabilities in the past – took one from Kitchen Nightmares under your wing who had some posture difficulties, and a blind woman on Masterchef is one of your more famous highlights – but I'd still like to know if people like me can pay our bills by working in the food industry. Cheers!
PoliteTimesplitter101 karma
Hello Chef, thanks for doing this! Short version of my question: are there any openings for jobs in the food industry for people with disabilities? Are we wanted in the professional kitchen, or elsewhere in the industry? Can we work with food professionally?
Long version: I'm 23 years old, and I'm sort of at a crossroads in life. I'm pretty passionate about cooking, and though the learning never stops for anyone, I wish it's a skill more people had. Lately I've been contemplating seeing if I could get into the food industry (because an arts degree probably isn't going to treat me particularly well!). However, I have a disability – spastic diplegia, assymetric type. It mostly just affects my legs.
The result is that by and large my feet and legs will tire out faster than the average joe, and my walking speed is a bit slower than most people's (though in a kitchen I don't feel it's significant, I'm mostly talking about outdoors). I also have minor impediments to my fine motor skills, though not to a huge degree – it's just that my 'skill ceiling' is lower than most would be. I can still mostly peel vegetables and grate cheese just fine, I think my dicing and chopping just needs practice like anyone else. All in all I have to admit I'm pretty lucky as far as the severity of my disability goes.
The leg and foot pain and tiredness are the main things, and they're an additional barrier to entry on top of learning to deal with kitchen heat. For a profession infamous for its long standing hours, I worry it might be a problem, and that something like culinary school would be an utterly wasted investment.
I am aware you've worked with chefs with disabilities in the past – took one from Kitchen Nightmares under your wing who had some posture difficulties, and a blind woman on Masterchef is one of your more famous highlights – but I'd still like to know if people like me can pay our bills by working in the food industry. Cheers!
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