THE well-kept grounds of the Galina Breeze hotel in St Mary is evidence that the maintenance staff is doing a great job. However, most of the work which creates this beautiful ambience is done by groundsman Karl Orie.

Employed at the property for the last eight years, Orie, a deaf mute, is not deterred by his disability and remains one of the most outstanding employees on property.

The fact that Orie is hearing-impaired is often overlooked by guests and other staff members at the hotel who are more taken up with his warm personality and dedication to his job.

The 34-year-old has been with the hotel since 2005, when the property was bought from the Trade Winds Hotel by a group of missionaries who wanted a place to stay in the parish when they visit Jamaica. However, it is open to the public.

Human Resource Manager Leila Love said Orie’s disability was never a disadvantage when it came to employing him at the hotel.

“Persons employed here are given a chance based on their ability,” Love told the Jamaica Observer North East.

Love said Galina Breeze employs persons who may not be employed by other hotels. These people, she said, usually do extremely well; sometimes with the disabled persons outperforming able-bodied employees.

“People should not be wary of employing persons with disabilities. Sometimes what you see as a disadvantage turns out to be an advantage,” she said.

“He does not spend time loitering; he gets on well with the guests,” she continued.

Orie, who normally comes in for work at 7:00 am, is usually given a written schedule of his tasks for the day by his supervisor. By 2 pm all assignments would be completed with no complaints.

Orie often does maintenance work all by himself because the property is small. One of the things he enjoys doing the most is cutting the lawn, and of course the sound of the lawnmower does not bother him.

“I enjoy cutting the lawn,” Orie told the Observer North East via text messages.

The hardworking groundsman, although not able to speak, is said to be a “text addict”. He communicates through sign language and lip-reading and loves to use the computer.

Life was not always this good for Orie who now enjoys a sense of independence from being employed.

Orie was not born deaf. According to him, he fell from a roof at about 10 years old resulting in serious head injuries which left him deaf and unable to speak.

“I was a little boy age 10 and fell from a roof and hit my head,” he explained.

But the troubles grew worse when his family abandoned him. Apart from being called names, Orie often felt rejected.

Orie recalled being picked up off the streets and taken to a home in St James by the police. It was while there that he was adopted and his life changed for the better.

Orie was soon enrolled in the Caribbean Christian School for the Deaf in Manchester and years later he joined his guardian in St Mary.

Orie said he landed the job through Marla Fitzwater, the woman who adopted him. Fitzwater was employed at the hotel at the time. It was a decision which has not been regretted by either Orie or the management of the hotel.

Through his job Orie has happily established a form of independence adults enjoy.

He rents his own apartment and like any other man is working to own his own place.

He is also an avid lover of music and explained that “he uses his hands to sing”.

Orie is also a sports fan and loves basketball.

Although people still call him names and may laugh at his inability to speak, Orie says he ignores them and continues to work hard to achieve his goals in life.