Why I Love El Pas PART 2
Continued from the January of 2019 newsletter ...
I loved El Paso because of its diversity, culture, and stunning views — stark desert mountains surrounded by beautiful valley vistas. I made many trips there during my college years, until my parents divorced and Mom moved back to Lubbock. After that, trips to El Paso were few and far between for several years, and the thought of moving to El Paso faded as I began my career. Sitting in that cold Houston office, I got a call from my dad. “Hey, Tuga [my nickname]. Why don’t you come out and visit some weekend soon?” I took him up on the offer. When I arrived, he introduced me to a lawyer who had his own law firm, helping people who had been injured in accidents. We had lunch over a plate of tacos at Lucy’s, and this lawyer told me how great it was to practice in El Paso. He explained that he was able to really help people and make a nice living all while still having time to spend with his family. It just so happened, this man needed a young lawyer to help him with his busy practice. He offered me a job on the spot, and I quickly realized Dad had set me up. I thought I was only coming to El Paso to hang out with family, but I got a lot more than I bargained for. My wife thought I had gone crazy when I told her I wanted to move to El Paso. But, always up for a challenge, she eventually agreed, and so began our love affair with the city. In April of 2004, we packed up our Jeep with every belonging — we didn’t have much in those days — and made the long trip across the state.
If you’ve ever visited a Starbucks coffee shop, you’ve likely heard a patron rattle off a drink order that was more specific than your grandma’s pecan pie recipe. For example, they might say, “I’ll take a Grande, four-pump, nonfat, no-whip, extra-hot mocha.” Without missing a beat, the barista scribbles the order on the cup and starts making the drink. Orders like this one are a mouthful for even the most seasoned Starbucks guru, but for deaf people, it can be difficult to even order a cup of black coffee. Adam Novsam, a deaf utility analyst at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, set out to address that difficulty by heading the launch of the company’s first deaf-friendly signing store. The store’s grand opening took place in October in Washington, D.C. Its overall success relies primarily on its purposeful operation and design elements. In 2005, the ASL Deaf Studies Department at Gallaudet University created the DeafSpace Project using design elements, such as space and proximity, sensory reach, mobility, light, and acoustics, to address potential challenges for deaf people. Starbucks’ signing store incorporates these aspects of DeafSpace to make their store more accessible. For customers new to sign language, the store features some high-tech options for assisting with communication, ordering drinks, and receiving beverages at the handoff counter, including digital notepads and a console with two-way keyboards for back-and-forth conversations. Operation
SUDO KU
Aprons
All store partners at the signing store are proficient in ASL, whether they are hearing, hearing-impaired, or deaf. However, deaf partners wear special green aprons embroidered with the ASL spelling of Starbucks. What’s more, these aprons were created by a deaf supplier!
Education
For hearing customers who aren’t fluent in ASL — even those just ducking in to grab a cup of coffee to go — the signing store offers an opportunity to learn something new. For example, they can learn how to sign a word like “espresso” in ASL merely by reading the chalkboard above the register with the “sign of the week.” Starbucks’ decision to make their product more accessible has benefited thousands of customers all along the East Coast. Hopefully, as time goes on, other corporations will choose to follow suit so we can make a more deaf-friendly society.
SOLUTION PG. 4
2 • www.ClarkHarmonsonAttorney.com
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