Fingertalk B: Breaking the Silence and Empowering Individuals with Disabilities

Established in 2015, Fingertalk was an Indonesian social enterprise that served the disability community, particularly individuals who were deaf, by providing training in market-oriented skills, employment opportunities and spaces where deaf and hearing individuals could connect or reconnect. In the years following its establishment, founder and CEO Dissa Ahdanisa devoted significant time and effort to building, operating and expanding Fingertalk as a mission-driven business. The café was well-received by the local community, and its mission focused on changing perceptions about disability and creating equal employment opportunities for deaf individuals. From its initial location, Fingertalk expanded to three cafés and later added the Fingertalk Shop and Fingertalk Bakery. By the period preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, the enterprise employed 30 deaf staff members. When the pandemic began, government restrictions and public health measures required the suspension of all Fingertalk business operations. This development created a pressing challenge for Dissa, who now had to determine how to sustain both the enterprise and her goal of empowering and providing equitable employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities.