Speak Up...Review a Business...Create Change!
Posted by: Melissa echo Greenlee on March 22, 2012
No deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing person is ever completely alike, but one tie bonds us instantly: We never stop looking for ways to make day-to-day communications less stressful in a predominantly hearing world.
Here’s what we’ve figured out early on: deaf-friendliness doesn’t just land into our laps. If anything, we’ve been told we have to work for it. It can seem unfair at times, empowering at others, and it can be downright exhausting too!
Think of all the times you've ordered a "vente soy latter half-caffeine, sugar-free vanilla, light foam, no whip, extra hot" at a coffee shop. That sentence alone is a mouthful for a hearing consumer, and can be an epic challenge for the deaf/hh customer. That’s where the beauty of a deaf-friendly business comes in. Before raising an eyebrow, they’ve got a back-up plan. Maybe it’s a notepad and pen, or maybe they’ve mastered their ABC’s in Sign Language, or maybe they even have a visual menu for you to point at.
Bottom line: Businesses that show flexibility and have a back-up plan in accommodating our unique communication needs must be shared and publicly praised. That’s why, when we experience a deaf-friendly business that anticipates and meets our needs, we can’t help but be excited to share it with our friends.
So, here’s the secret of creating positive change: Sharing positive change with the rest of the world. That’s right – speaking up about the awesome barista who’s gotten your orders right for the last 3 years. And, on the flip side: Speaking up about the server who ruined your meal by mumbling impatiently and sighing in exasperation when asked to repeat something.
How would businesses truly understand the impact of their actions on you, unless it is clearly illustrated, echoing through the power of numbers? With deaffriendly.com, you get to share your consumer experiences in an arena that’s larger than a text message, a VideoPhone (VP) conversation or even a Facebook status update.
Dear readers, each time you make a pit stop to order a cup of Joe for your daily grind, you are never just buying a cup of Joe – you are buying a consumer experience. And each time you get a new experience, it’s a new opportunity to share it amongst your community. By sharing your consumer experience on deaffriendly.com, you are not only helping your community find deaf-friendly businesses and steer clear of deaf-challenged businesses, you are also feeding a growing movement that encourages our economic power as deaf/hh individuals.
Luckily, our city is uber-wired in two ways: One, we’re hooked on caffeine; and two, we can’t swing a cat without hitting a wireless hotspot. That means that as soon as your complicated tongue-twisting coffee order goes through, you can sit down and quickly type exactly what you thought of the experience. Whatever the scenario, we want to read about it. So do your deaf/hh friends!
So – what are you waiting for? Write your first review here! Because the only thing more addictive than a soy latte, is repeatedly going back to a great business that satisfies us to the core.
Tags
- deaf
- hard of hearing
- deaf friendly
- seattle
- business
- deaf challenged
- yelp
- new york city
- san francisco
- los angeles
- san diego
- rochester
- washington dc
Comment Policy
We’re aware that issues facing the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing Community can become quite passionate and divided. What can we say, we’re a group of passionate people! While we fully support a community full of passion, we also require that comments are respectful. We think negative attitudes and disrespect are a waste of everyone’s time and energy. This doesn’t mean you can’t disagree with people, you just need to do it respectfully. We reserve the right to delete or edit any comments we feel are judgmental, rude, or of attacking nature.
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