Imagine being in a foreign country where you neither speak nor understand anything anyone is saying. That’s what many deaf people experience on a daily basis, when their inability to form complete vocalized consonants and varying degrees of lip reading are often mistaken for limited mental capabilities.
And while many disabilities have been accommodated in the past few decades – braille on elevator buttons and assisted entry on public busses, for example – those who are hearing-impaired have very little support when they go out in public.
So for Rebecca King of St. Augustine, Florida, a novel idea at her local Starbucks was far more thrilling than just a yummy mocha latte. That’s because King is deaf, and obviously cannot hear when she pulls up at a drive-through to order.
Somehow, on a recent visit, one of the baristas not only figured this out, but was apparently herself a master of American Sign Language (ASL) and used it fluently, via a small screen that popped up above the microphone, to get King’s order perfectly.
King was so thrilled, she quickly returned, this time making sure someone filmed the interaction. She posted it on social media and told Starbucks how amazing the experience was.
Hopefully, this will get many other businesses thinking as well. It’s great that we have handicapped restrooms and all kinds of aids for the sight-impaired. Now it’s time to make sure those among us who cannot hear can also enjoy life to the fullest by offering them services in ASL wherever they go.
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