![]() ![]() Harris grew up in a nonsigning family and was sent to a mainstream school. "Kids from MSSD say that they can be baristas," Crystal Harris tells CNN. News of the store has also been exciting for members of the local deaf and hard of hearing community, especially students from MSSD, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, a high school which is adjacent to Gallaudet. He gets emotional about how meaningful it was to be taught to make coffee in ASL and be trained for a job in his native language. Several baristas note that the deaf and hard of hearing community suffers from chronic underemployment, with qualified applicants struggling to find work simply because of language barriers. "This is an opportunity to model what deaf-centric space looks like," says barista Joey Lewis. That inclusive language brings in people who are deaf and hard of hearing CODAs (hearing Children of Deaf Adults, which includes this author) people who are deaf and blind and also others.īut many of the store's employees - called "partners" in Starbucksese - emphasize that language is just one part of what makes this shop friendly to signers. One thing that staff members here emphasize is that the store isn't about deaf versus hearing, which doesn't quite capture the community accurately. Lights are bright, and surfaces are matte to reduce glare. Most chairs and tables are low to aid visibility. There are also more subtle ways that deaf space is considered. "They're used to talking to people right away. "At the point of sale, people see immediately and sometimes stand there in awe," Kylie Garcia, a deaf barista, tells CNN Travel. There is also a two-way communication tablet in case of questions such as "what kind of milk?" Some attempt to point at menu items, while others make use of tablets that Starbucks have provided for people to prefer to write down their orders. (This week's, fittingly, is "coffee.")Īt the register, guests often begin to figure out what is going on. There's a display of mugs exclusive to this Starbucks - they have the brand's name sign, illustrated with green hands - and a chalkboard displaying the ASL vocabulary word of the week. To the right of the entrance is a bright, colorful mural by a deaf artist. When you walk in, you'll notice that the store, unlike every other Starbucks in the world, doesn't have ambient music. ![]()
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