deaffriendly News

Exploring Deaf-Friendly Hangouts: Why They Keep You Coming Back

Posted by: Staff Writer on Sept. 19, 2023  |  Comments

Do you know those special places you love to visit over and over again? Maybe it's the coffee shop where you get your yummy morning drink, the doctor's office that makes sure you understand everything, or the fun restaurant where you hang out with your pals after work. When you find a spot like this, you just can't stop talking about it! You tell everyone how awesome the people there are - like the coffee maker who knows sign language, the nice person at the front desk who asks if you want a lady or a man to help you, and the waiters who use hand signs and big smiles.

Ten years later, deaffriendly’s journey is all over the map - and the marketplace

Posted by: Staff Writer on April 11, 2022  |  Comments

Reviewer Spotlight: Julia Cameron Damon - Indianapolis, IN

Posted by: Staff Writer on Sept. 27, 2021  |  Comments

Do you know the faces behind deaffriendly’s reviews? Quarterly, we pick the brains of our active reviewers - the words behind our mission, the stars of our ratings, and the soul of this website.

A New Year, A New Look, A New Deaf-Friendly World

Posted by: Staff Writer on March 6, 2021  |  Comments

The pandemic has been a catalyst for so many of us and has pushed businesses to embrace change in radically new ways. As deaf consumers, we are experiencing these changes in real-time and deaffriendly.com is changing with it.

Best of Deaf-Friendly Businesses in 2020: The Year of The Pandemic

Posted by: Staff Writer on Jan. 1, 2021  |  Comments

This month, deaffriendly faces a tough task: Highlighting the best businesses in one of the worst years ever, the year of the pandemic.

This September, Take Action For a Deaf-Friendly World!

Posted by: Staff Writer on Sept. 2, 2020  |  Comments

Creating a deaf-friendly world doesn't happen from the efforts of one person alone. We can't sit and wait for the world to become deaf-friendly, we, as a collective group must roll up our sleeves and do the work. We certainly can't pick every battle, but we can make an impact by modeling for others what we want, in our everyday lives.

From curbside pickup to clear masks, pandemic redefines the deaf consumer experience

Posted by: Staff Writer on July 13, 2020  |  Comments

Over four months later, fighting the coronavirus is still a Catch-22 for the 40+ million in the U.S. who live with hearing loss. With face masks and social distancing now the norm, deaf and hard of hearing individuals continue to be bewildered by new communication barriers. More than ever, businesses are in a unique position to improve the deaf customer experience.

Best of 2019: Deaf-Friendly Businesses Who Went the Extra Mile

Posted by: Staff Writer on Dec. 29, 2019  |  Comments

What a year 2019 was! We saw the Deaf ecosystem in full force as more Deaf owned businesses than ever reached new and loyal customers alike. It was also a banner year for deaf-friendly businesses of all stripes who went the extra mile to ensure their Deaf and hard of hearing customers received accessible and deaf-friendly service. Our annual "Best of" list is based on actual Deaf consumer experiences shared on our website in the form of reviews. This year there were three businesses that stood out to us. Read on to find out who they are!

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.”

Business 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.