College opens café to help TBI patients

A College in Florida has opened a food kiosk with the purpose of helping people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to gain their workplace skills back following their injury. The faculty at the University of Central Florida wanted to improve the lives of young survivors of TBI, according to an article posted on the Babble […]

A College in Florida has opened a food kiosk with the purpose of helping people with traumatic brain injury(TBI) to gain their workplace skills back following their injury.

The faculty at the University of Central Florida wanted to improve the lives of young survivors of TBI, according to an article posted on the Babble website.

The food kiosk is called  Knights on the Go Café ,  and while it serves the purpose of helping TBI patients regain their workplace skills, it has a dual purpose – to further the medical education of 118 physical therapy (PT) students.

“In this functional workspace, PT staff and advanced students are paired alongside survivors who volunteer part-time,” the article reads. “The goal is to support TBI patients in a work setting by sharpening their real-world skills and highlighting their strengths on the job — those that would otherwise go unnoticed by the community and business owners.”

The lead professor of the project, Dr. Jennifer Tucker, told Babble that she wanted to create a platform for education, research, and advocacy about traumatic brain injury.

Knights on the Go Café  has a ceiling-based harness system that was created by University of Delaware PT professor Dr. Cole Galloway and Enliten designs. The system allows patients full mobility through the support of overhead guide bars.

“ The staff is urging universities nationwide to launch their own harness-equipped cafes,” the article reads. “Dr. Tucker hopes that this system could even transfer from academia to companies.”

Dr. Tucker said the harness doesn’t cost much to implement, so she’s hoping that businesses will replicate the café’s efforts, which would open doors for more people with disabilities in the workplace.

“ Not only has this opportunity allowed for more meaningful student engagement, creating a sense of community for all involved, but it’s also really helping the participating TBI patients.”

Participants in the program have experienced a boost in confidence, according to the article. One parent said her son who suffered a TBI that left him with cognitive disabilities, looks forward to socializing with peers while working at the café. She said he isn’t judged based on his disability while he’s working.

According to the  Brain Injury Association of America, there are  5.3 million people in the U.S. living with a lifelong disability as a result of TBI.