Dennis

On June 24, 2024, I visited the Black Bear Dinner at Baytown. I first saw the dinner when I parked and pulled up front. I parked in the disabled parking space because I have a fused leg and walk with a cane. Many restaurants have a curb cut so people with disabilities can easily enter. At the Black Bear Dinner in Baytown, in front of all the disabled parking spaces, the sidewalk was sloping down, so I could have parked in any disabled parking space and walked directly to the door. One bad thing is that the doors (two doors to enter the restaurant) are heavy. I had no problem going into the restaurant because I had a free hand; however, coming out of the restaurant, I had a to-go box and had to push the door open with my body. However, another customer saw me struggling with the door and opened both doors for me.   When I entered the restaurant, I asked the hostess if the waitress that I wanted was there.  I was told she was not on duty.  I asked for this particular waitress because she uses sign language.  I am hard of hearing and can hear some, but I prefer using ASL.  The hostess told me she knew some sign language and would help me if that was all right.  I told her it was ok, and she showed me to a table.  I did hear her ask my waiter if he knew sign language.  She stayed at my table with the waiter while I signed; I wanted water to drink.  My waiter started writing a note to me; he introduced himself and asked me if I was ready to order.  I gestured that I needed to review the menu, and they both left.  My waiter returned, and I gestured if there was a smaller chicken fried steak.  He circled on the menu the location of the smaller chicken fried steak I gave him a thumbs up.  He then circled a place on the menu where the vestiges were located. He gestured that I had a choice of two vestiges; I pointed to the menu for which two vestiges I wanted.  He wrote down my order and left.  The hostess came back and asked if I was ready to order. I told her that he had already taken my order.  He left another note for me when he returned with my food. The note read can I get you anything else. I signed to him that I would need a small to-go box, and he brought me one.  When it was time to leave, I waited for my waiter, and the hostess returned to check on me.  She told me to pay at the cashier in front. But she talked to me and signed for me. I told her about a deaf friend who may come in and ask for the other waitress if she was not here to follow my waiter’s example. We introduced ourselves by fingerspelling our names, and she signed, " Have a nice day.   This is the way every deaf and hard-of-hearing person should be treated. Even if they come in with a hearing person, give them the option to order themselves. The Black Bear Dinner can properly train the other wait staff to wait on a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. They could also teach all staff some basic sign language.

Dennis

On June 24, 2024, I visited the Black Bear Dinner at Baytown. I first saw the dinner when I parked and pulled up front. I parked in the disabled parking space because I have a fused leg and walk with a cane. Many restaurants have a curb cut so people with disabilities can easily enter. At the Black Bear Dinner in Baytown, in front of all the disabled parking spaces, the sidewalk was sloping down, so I could have parked in any disabled parking space and walked directly to the door. One bad thing is that the doors (two doors to enter the restaurant) are heavy. I had no problem going into the restaurant because I had a free hand; however, coming out of the restaurant, I had a to-go box and had to push the door open with my body. However, another customer saw me struggling with the door and opened both doors for me.   When I entered the restaurant, I asked the hostess if the waitress that I wanted was there.  I was told she was not on duty.  I asked for this particular waitress because she uses sign language.  I am hard of hearing and can hear some, but I prefer using ASL.  The hostess told me she knew some sign language and would help me if that was all right.  I told her it was ok, and she showed me to a table.  I did hear her ask my waiter if he knew sign language.  She stayed at my table with the waiter while I signed; I wanted water to drink.  My waiter started writing a note to me; he introduced himself and asked me if I was ready to order.  I gestured that I needed to review the menu, and they both left.  My waiter returned, and I gestured if there was a smaller chicken fried steak.  He circled on the menu the location of the smaller chicken fried steak I gave him a thumbs up.  He then circled a place on the menu where the vestiges were located. He gestured that I had a choice of two vestiges; I pointed to the menu for which two vestiges I wanted.  He wrote down my order and left.  The hostess came back and asked if I was ready to order. I told her that he had already taken my order.  He left another note for me when he returned with my food. The note read can I get you anything else. I signed to him that I would need a small to-go box, and he brought me one.  When it was time to leave, I waited for my waiter, and the hostess returned to check on me.  She told me to pay at the cashier in front. But she talked to me and signed for me. I told her about a deaf friend who may come in and ask for the other waitress if she was not here to follow my waiter’s example. We introduced ourselves by fingerspelling our names, and she signed, " Have a nice day.   This is the way every deaf and hard-of-hearing person should be treated. Even if they come in with a hearing person, give them the option to order themselves. The Black Bear Dinner can properly train the other wait staff to wait on a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. They could also teach all staff some basic sign language.