Working in a food-service job means attention to customers, assembling orders properly and keeping things clean, and doing these tasks requires extra effort if the worker is blind or visually impaired. Three teenagers from the Kentucky School for the Blind are operating Kingdom Sub on weekdays at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for four weeks as part of the school's Summer Career and Work Program.

Marissa Chambers, Mitch Saylor and Samantha Hubbard are working from 11 a.m. to3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday today through July 18. They also worked June 16-27.

The sub shop is usually open only on weekends. But Chris Helm, one of four job coaches for Kentucky School for the Blind students, suggested that the students staff it during the week. Keith Klusman, the parks' assistant food director, made the arrangements.

"I keep hearing that they are working at the same or even higher level as their regular employees," Helm said. "The perception of the general public is that blind people aren't as efficient or fast as sighted people, but these kids are dispelling that myth. They're doing a great job in a timely manner, in terms of accuracy of order and courtesy to the customer. They're doing an outstanding job."

Marissa and Mitch alternate between assembling sandwiches and pouring drinks.

"We open and close. We make the cookies. We keep things clean," Marissa said. "We do it all."

Mitch said it's a challenge not to overfill the drinks, but he says he's working on it and getting good at it.

Marissa said her challenge is "telling if something's clean, if there are spots on the counter." Samantha, "who can see some," helps her, Marissa said.

Samantha's task is working the cash register and giving change, and while she said she's "messed up twice," she now has it under her fingertips.

Nine other Kentucky School for the Blind students are working at Kentucky Kingdom this summer as well.

"We love the partnership with Kentucky School for the Blind," said Carolyn McLean, public relations manager for the theme park. "Every year it grows in terms of the number of students.

"They're hard workers,"she said. "They do a beautiful job. I've had customers write nice things about them on comment cards, how impressed they are, how the kids have the process down to a science."

All three students at the sub shop said they enjoy the interaction with customers. "I like to talk with the people who come to the park, hear different languages and interact with them," Mitch said.

"Everyone is polite and says 'thank you,' " Marissa said. "We're showing them that even though we are visually impaired we can do just as much as other people."

Marissa said they take care of their customers. "One man said his drink had too much ice and not enough drink. We changed the drink for him. We make sure the orders are right."

Mitch and Samantha live on campus at school. Marissa lives with her father, Jeff Chambers, in Jefferson town.

The teens said they are enjoying the job and hope to do similar work again.

Ultimately,Marissa wants to be a veterinary technician, Samantha aspires to be a veterinarian, and Mitch hopes for a career in music.