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视频（原文）链接：【Video】Car wash staffed by handicapped going strong 一群特殊的洗车工

Despite their disabilities, they are good at their job. A group of intellectually handicapped adults were offered work at a special car wash in the Shangmeilin area in Futian District last year and the car wash is now hiring more to deal with an increase in business.

The car wash, known as Xihan’er Car Wash, opened in mid-July last year and provided jobs to 10 intellectually handicapped adults. Six more employees have joined the car wash over the past eight months and the car wash had cleaned 7,700 cars as of yesterday morning.

“My original reason for setting up the car wash was to create a place for this special group so that they can sustain their lives with their own hands, instead of constantly asking for help from society,” said Cao Jun, the founder of the car wash and also the father of an intellectually disabled teenager.

A handicapped employee practices washing a car

Xihan’er Car Wash is the first nongovernmental organization (NGO) on the Chinese mainland that is dedicated to employing intellectually disabled adults. Cao said that more than 20 groups representing the mentally handicapped had come to observe the car wash.

In most places in China, special education schools and rehabilitation centers only take care of people under 18 years old. Where the children will go and what they will do after graduation is a big concern for families.

Cao said that most of the people that get their cars washed there are regular customers.

“What delights me the most is that our regular customers are not purposely asking less of my staff because of their special needs and they are in fact expecting professional service from us like any other car wash out there,” Cao said yesterday.

“This attitude gives the staff more confidence because they are not receiving sympathy but earning something from their work.”he said.

Cao said the service they provide should be as good as other car washes. “The employees here are not taking advantage of the costumers’ sympathy, but actually providing professional service and earning respect from others,” said Cao.

Li Jiashi, 22, has been working at the car wash since its first day. 

“I am very happy but also very busy — I need to wash a car now,” Li said, before going back to work.

Cao set up a testing area at the back of the car wash. A digital white board the size of an SUV is used to assess how well an employee can wipe a car.

“The digital white board is divided into different sections based on a car’s shape and it is also connected with an assessment system that can grade newcomers when they wipe the board,” said Cao.

“We have employees with stronger abilities on teams with those with weaker abilities ... so that they can cooperate,” said Cao.

A car parked in front of the testing area is used by new staff to practice.

Cao said new employees usually need to practice for three months before they are ready to work.

A flower shop recently opened beside the car wash to employ those who cannot wash cars properly.

“We’d like to train all the employees to wash cars, but some have difficulty remembering the complex procedure of washing a car, so we are trying to build another business for them: planting and selling flowers,” said Cao.

Under the direction of a professional gardener and special education teachers, employees put plans in pots.

“The flower shop is operating better than we expected and we are also trying to offer more services in accordance with an employee's ability,” said Cao.

Around 50 families with intellectually handicapped adults have approached Cao asking if he can provide employment. Cao hopes his business model will spread across China.

来源公众号： Cindy  ShenzhenDaily

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