Starbucks announces first U.S. 'Signing Store' for deaf and hard of hearing customers

Get ready for an entirely new Starbucks experience in the U.S.

The coffee company announced Thursday that it will open the first U.S. store to be run in American Sign Language (ASL). The store will begin welcoming customers in Washington, D.C., in October. Starbucks launched its first-ever "Signing Store," located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two years ago.

The Washington, D.C., store will hire roughly two dozen deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing employees, all of whom will be proficient in ASL.

The store itself will include "DeafSpace" design modifications and service practices that create the best possible experience for deaf and hard of hearing customers, including low-glare reflective surfaces and clear sight lines for open communication. In general, deaf-accessible design focuses on architectural elements in five categories: acoustics, sensory reach, space and proximity, mobility and proximity, and light and color.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Deaf baristas will don aprons with the company's name embroidered in ASL. Hearing employees capable of signing will wear an "I Sign" pin. If a customer doesn't speak sign language, they'll have access to directions for making and receiving an order.

"This is a historic moment in Starbucks ongoing journey to connect with the deaf and hard of hearing community, hire and engage deaf and hard of hearing partners, and continue to find ways to be more inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all," Rossann Williams, Starbucks executive vice president of U.S. retail, said in a press release.

A team of deaf Starbucks employees is leading the store's launch, in partnership with members of the company's accessibility office and its Access Alliance, a network for staff interested in promoting inclusion and integrating accessibility at Starbucks.

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The Washington, D.C., store will be located near Gallaudet University, a private university for the deaf and hard of hearing students. Businesses surrounding Gallaudet have taken steps to be inclusive of deaf and hard-of-hearing residents.

The opening of this "Signing Store" marks yet another positive step of many toward an accessible, inclusive, and smartly designed future.