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A Deaf Person Walks Into Your Business. Now What?
Posted by: Staff Writer on Feb. 5, 2018 | Comments
“A deaf person walks into a bar.” It may sound like the start of a classic joke formula, but this what actually happens all over the world daily, along with: “A deaf customer walks into your retail store,” or “a deaf taxpayer walks into your tax prep office,” or “a deaf driver walks into your auto body shop.”
Read MoreTips For Deaf Fliers: Travel Proactively
Posted by: Staff Writer on Nov. 7, 2016 | Comments
One sign of a frequent traveler is picking your flight based on your connection because their favorite airport restaurant is at that hub and the wings there can’t be beat. Another seasoned traveler might pick an airline based on free wifi or the free checked luggage- heck even getting to bring two carry-ons for free is becoming more of a perk and less of a given.
Read MoreOver 200 Phoenix Professionals Get Deaf-Friendly Training
Posted by: Staff Writer on July 1, 2016 | Comments
After attending a two-hour Deaf-Friendly Customer Service training on Wednesday, Kevin Mattingly wasted no time taking action: He personally turned on the captions on each television set in the Phoenix Convention Center. And decided to leave them on, forever.
Read MoreBusiness Tip: Turning a Negative Review into a Deaf-Friendly One
Posted by: Staff Writer on June 7, 2016 | Comments
Lets face it, it’s tough getting a negative review or negative feedback. No one likes it, whether you’re an individual or a business. While eighty percent of reviews on deaffriendly.com are positive, the deaf-challenged experiences Deaf consumers face sometimes lead to reviews that are three stars or less. We encourage businesses to reframe the situation and see negative reviews as a wonderful opportunity to gain an edge, get information about Deaf consumers, and do concrete things to create a deaf-friendly experience in the future. In fact, the most successful situations we see are a deaf-challenged business taking a negative review and turning it into a positive one.
Read MoreInterpreting Industry Insights: A challenging climate
Posted by: Staff Writer on Dec. 15, 2015 | Comments
The interpreting field is a dynamic one, growing and evolving. This can be most dramatically seen with the creation of Linguabee by Deaf founders Chad Taylor and Patrick Boudreault and Vineya by Communication Services for the Deaf which challenged the old interpreting agency model by connecting consumers and interpreters directly, eliminating the broker - the traditional interpreting agency.
Read MoreDeaf-Inclusive Tech Conferences: Accessibility Lessons From &yetConf
Posted by: Staff Writer on Nov. 12, 2015 | Comments
Though I was born deaf, I had very few opportunities to meet culturally Deaf, ASL-fluent peers until after college. As I began learning sign language for the first time, I noticed that many Deaf and hard of hearing people gravitated towards careers in tech.
Read MoreA Stylish Match: Starbucks Order App + Deaf Street Style
Posted by: Staff Writer on Sept. 16, 2015 | Comments
Sometimes us staffers think Seattle is the center of the universe, or at least the birthplace of really cool things - deaffriendly.com, R.E.I., Microsoft, and Nirvana are just the tip of the iceberg. Our Ballard office is a hop and skip away from the actual Center of the Universe. We gush about local things, but get really excited when local goodness goes nationwide, such as the new Starbucks Mobile Order App which allows you to place your order using your mobile phone.
Read MorePlanning a Festival? Tips to Provide a Deaf-Friendly Experience
Posted by: Staff Writer on Aug. 11, 2015 | Comments
It’s summer! There are music and theater festivals happening everyday, all day, all over the country. Have you received a request to accommodate a Deaf theater or concertgoer whom uses American Sign Language (ASL)? Making sure your event is accessible to them not only improves your customer service, it also fulfills your obligation under the civil rights law, Americans with Disability Act (ADA). If you are unsure how to provide a deaf-friendly experience at your festival for Deaf ASL users, here are some useful tips to get you started.
Read MoreFounders Corner: The Long Path to Advocacy
Posted by: Staff Writer on July 29, 2015 | Comments
One of the most disempowering moments we experience as Deaf consumers is when we face relinquishing control over interpreters to those who don’t know our needs, are driven by corporate profits, and serving personal interests. It requires a leap of faith, every time when we request an interpreter at an unfamiliar doctor’s office or agency, in hopes they know how to secure an interpreter, that they use a reputable agency, and that the agency in turn uses qualified interpreters that fit our particular needs.
Read MoreADA Then & Now: Where We Have Been & Where We Go From Here
Posted by: Staff Writer on July 21, 2015 | Comments
This week we are watching as the nation celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the signing of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law by then President George H.W. Bush. Current President Obama said, “Thanks to the ADA, the places that comprise our shared American life- schools, workplaces, movie theaters, courthouses, buses, baseball stadiums, national parks- they truly belong to everyone.”
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