how do you get treated when you go in a store

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herreraangie

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Hi my name in angie i am not deaf or hard of hearing i am doing a paper and a project and i need some diffrent responces. What is the kind of treat ment you get when you go shopping and they know you cant hear? Please respond
 
It depends on the location and the deaf society that resides in the area.

I spent years in two different locations... Rochester, NY and Dallas, TX.

In Rochester, there's a HUGE deaf community. Almost everywhere you go, you are likely to see a deaf person walking by. A lot of places have had a lot of deaf customers. So, they eventually learn how to deal with these customers appropriately.

Here in Dallas, it's different. The deaf community is small and a lot of places don't see deaf people enough to learn the appropriate way to treat these customers. So, it's often awkward. There are a few places that do know how to treat deafies appropriately... Deaf Chat Coffee places (Starbucks).

For me, if I go to a store and they realize that I'm deaf... they do one of two things. They either talk less thinking that there's no point talking since I can't hear them... or they try to make sure that I can see their face clearly when they try to talk slowly to me.
 
Being deaf is an "hidden" disability. People wouldn't know nowadays now theres self-check lines, and I'm always knowing what the cashiers are saying because theres so many common questions/comments so I just figure out what they're asking and no one's the wiser. It's all about adapting to the flow of the store.... with technology advances, theres less and less interactions with real people at the store.

The ONLY times I'm forced to show my cards is when I'm at a speciality store as fish stores when I'm looking for a specific fish I just write it on paper and people are really friendly about it I think its how the individual person reacts and how well they adjust to the disruption of their routine of something new challenge in their job.
 
People usually react to my blindness first since my cane makes it a visible disability. When they find out I'm also hard of hearing, they usually either just give up trying to communicate at all (even if I have a communication card) or try to yell in my ear (not helpful at all).
 
Some people will face me directly make eye contact and speak clearly, but there are also some people who won't say anything at all, or would even try to talk to me. But, if I'm a regular customer and the store people know me, they would wave gently to get my attention, and start a conversation with me as to how I am today, how's the weather and stuff like that. :aw: I like people like that, people who aren't afraid to have a conversation with me.

There was a time when the cashier was talking to me while I was looking in my purse to get my wallet, then when I looked up, the lady was getting upset and said I was talking to you! why were you ignoring me, you're being so rude! I'm like I wasn't ignoring you or was trying to be rude, I simply did not hear you because I'm deaf, then she said oh I'm sorry I didn't know that, I said well now you know.

There was another time when I went to a local gas station about 8 miles from my house to pump gas in my car, I told the cashier that I'm gonna put $30.00 in gas at pump number 5, then she said something I did not clearly catch what she was trying to say so I told her you're chewing gum I can't read your lips, she rolled her eyes and wrote it down on paper. Then I told her, you know something lady, I think you need to learn to treat deaf people with the same courtesy that you would to hearing people, if a hearing person tells you that she/her cannot understand you while you're chewing your gum like a cow, would you write it down on a piece of paper like you did to me, or would you take your gum out of your mouth? She didn't say a word from that point on. I guess I really showed her the true meaning of "respect"
 
thank you very much your blog made me understand more how it feels to be deaf and your write you do need to learn how to be cordius to others
 
i am so sorry about that experiuns and i am tring to learn how to sing to deaf and help dlind so this will help me alot
 
well that great that you have had good experiances with the hearing people and we have acomidated you well
 
Cheri said:
Some people will face me directly make eye contact and speak clearly, but there are also some people who won't say anything at all, or would even try to talk to me. But, if I'm a regular customer and the store people know me, they would wave gently to get my attention, and start a conversation with me as to how I am today, how's the weather and stuff like that. :aw: I like people like that, people who aren't afraid to have a conversation with me.
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This reminded I do have one or two stores where I'm a regular customer and always have a good experience. One is a all-purpose type store where one person has sort of taken charge and always greets me so I get that consistency. She knows how to use the Braille communication card and uses it well. She also knows how to try to speak clearly rather than just yelling.

There is one other store, a cafe actually, where the owner (who always works there herself) knows sign language. So she tactile signs and voices to me, and if I don't understand a sign (since I'm relatively new to ASL) she finger spells it to me, and her finger spelling is very crisp and clear and easy to understand. That is by far my favorite place to go because I never have a communication barrier and she is one of the two or three people in my life I can communicate with comfortably.

As for other places, they have no idea how to get my attention, even when I tell them for future reference, because they freeze and panic. I should acknowledge those two places that treat me very well and always ask me how I'm doing too, though. :)
 
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