NPR

Starbucks To Open First 'Signing Store' In The U.S. To Serve Deaf Customers

The store will be in Washington D.C., and will not only focus on hiring employees fluent in American Sign Language, but also on lighting and design that makes it easier for the deaf to communicate.
Starbucks is opening it's first deaf-friendly store in the U.S., where employees will be versed in American sign language and stores will be designed to better serve deaf people.

Ordering a "grande four-pump, nonfat, no-whip, extra-hot mocha" is a mouthful for any hot beverage nerd, but for deaf people, it can be hard to order just a simple cup of black coffee. Global coffee behemoth Starbucks' "Signing Store Project," launching in Washington, D.C. in October, aims to change that.

Adam Novsam, a deaf utility analyst at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, knows firsthand how frustrating it can be to accomplish even the most basic

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readAmerican Government
In W. Va. Primary, Establishment Candidates For Governor Highlight Culture War Issues
Several Republicans with deep ties to state politics vye in the primary to face the Democrat in November
NPR3 min read
Justice Thomas Decries 'Nastiness' And 'Lies' Against Him
The Supreme Court justice told attendees at a judicial conference that he and his wife have faced "nastiness" and "lies" over the last several years and decried Washington as a "hideous place."
NPR4 min readWorld
In Gaza, A Hidden Threat Could Kill Palestinians Even After A Cease-fire
The United Nations says 7,500 metric tons of unexploded ordnance litter the Gaza Strip. The U.N. says it could take 14 years to dispose of these dangers.

Related Books & Audiobooks