Rachel Berman

We were there a few months ago, and a woman who signed approached me and my husband while we were looking at shoes. She was fluent in ASL and told me that there is a Deaf man who works there as well. We haven't met him, but it is nice to know that REI is ASL-friendly. Being able to talk with a customer representative in ASL was awesome-I was able to ask a lot of questions and get an opinion from the representative. It is something that hearing people take for granted. When we shop, we often have to research beforehand as we're used not being able to ask reps for specific questions and follow up on our research. We go to REI a lot and feel very comfortable there, as we sense that the presence of a Deaf worker has created has increased awareness and cultural sensitivity.  It is manifested in the staff's friendly and helpful approach to us when we're looking for something.