The Radisson Blu Vendome hotel in Sea Point, Cape Town welcomes deaf gold medallist Michael Denton Swartz, to the team. Michael first joined the hotel as an intern and is now a full time waitron. “I feel that I have found my future here, at Radisson Blu. I enjoy their motto : Yes I Can! This has reassured me regarding the positivity of the hotel group, and I am beyond enthusiastic to become part of the team.”

“We are exceptionally proud to have followed in the footsteps of our sister hotel Park Inn by Radisson Newlands by employing a significant number of team members who are deaf, embracing diversity, creating equal opportunities and raising the education standards at our hotel,” says Clinton Thom, General Manager, Radisson Blu Le Vendome Hotel Cape Town.

The hotel has basic sign language posters to assist staff in communicating with hearing impaired employees, and when waitrons are dealing with customers they employ lip reading and encourage patrons to speak slowly and use hand gestures where necessary.

Michael is an extremely accomplished swimmer: He competed in the 2013 Deaf Olympics and The South African National Championships where he won 8 gold medals, and has also qualified for the World Master Championships to be held in Budapest in August. Michael has transcended his disability and become a paragon of achievement – “At this point in my life I finally have a purpose.”