Buddy Elledge: Behind the Scenes
Posted by: Elise Whitworth on Jan. 1, 2016

Buddy is our graphic designer extraordinaire, his role is critical to keeping us looking spiffy. He wears many other hats, stepping up as a program assistant and assisting in social media duties. Odds are, if you have a question about the website or your account he’s the man behind the scenes helping our reviewers out.
Buddy Elledge - Graphic Designer & Program Assistant
Number of Reviews: 133
Favorite Deaf-Friendly Business: Cedars, Seattle
Originally from Texas, he’s larger than life, always dressed to impress, and armed with his killer-blue eyes, signature smile and a quick joke or quip. Every December, he heads down to Texas to help out with his family’s business, Daddy Ray’s Famous Gingerbread and is a world-traveler, visiting his friends and trekking with them all over the globe. Now that he calls Seattle his home base, you’ll find him kayaking in Lake Union, attending subtitled foreign films, watching the latest interpreted theatrical production, or working hard for another local organization Deaf Spotlight.
Tell us, what's the best thing about working with deaffriendly.com.
I get to work with everybody on the team. They’re amazing! I learn so much from them and our community with their reviews. Also, I get to learn about all the #deaffriendly businesses by reading reviews.
What's your favorite deaf-friendly business you frequent. Why?
Cedars in Seattle - the best Indian restaurant with a deaf-friendly manager/waiter. He always signs "Hello" and "Thank You". And best chai tea too!
Describe your job and your favorite project you've worked on at deaffriendly.com
One year, we did a photo campaign for Deaf Awareness Week. I got to work with some amazing Deaf people from the community. We used their photo and quote to educate the hearing world about our culture and language. It was powerful, inspiring and educational.
Describe the most memorable review you've read by another reviewer.
There are two reviews for Bambu in Newport Beach, CA. The first review was a bad review with 1 star and then we sent information to the restaurant to notify them they have a review on our website with suggestions for improvement. They must have seen it because shortly after, they got another review for 5 stars and made the changes to improve. I thought “This is the reason we do what we do!”
In your opinion, what's the most deaf-friendly city you've visited?
Well, I don't want to be biased, but I have to say Seattle. And Portland.
Best survival tip for navigating the world as a Deaf consumer:
Always use sign language, no matter if people know it or not. At least expose our language to hearing people. They need to start somewhere, right? And with a positive attitude- don't SCARE them AWAY!
Mad lib style, just for laughs: Give me a noun. An adjective. and an adverb.
Man. Blue. Lightly.
A deaf-friendly MAN always knows to use BLUE when interacting LIGHTLY with Deaf customers.
Do you have any advice for a new reviewer?
Get in the habit of writing reviews often. And don’t be afraid to write negative reviews, in the long run it benefits both future Deaf consumers and hearing businesses.
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