With in-person events a distant memory and no end to Zoom fatigue, people are turning to a fast-growing medium: Podcasts. With so many of us stuck at home, podcasting is becoming an easy-to-consume, “snackable” form of content. According to data on 12,000 podcasts, downloads by U.S. listeners in September 2020 increased 150% [...]
“Curbside pickup” is one of the many buzzwords 2020 has given us. But unlike roller skate soda fountains and drive-through cinemas, it is likely to stay. Once both major businesses and mom-and-pop retailers implemented this service to curb (pun intended) the spread of COVID-19, it became clear: curbside pickup is an example [...]
From Python coding to engine assembly, the corporate world banks on hard skills. Job descriptions are seemingly 90 percent hard skills, tossing in a vague soft skill (“motivated self-starter,” anyone?). But soft skills are the secret sauce for retaining consumer loyalty, great user experiences, and being a deaf-friendly business. In fact, as [...]
George Floyd’s killing in June set off massive protests and demonstrations across the globe. A month later, our nation celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Part of celebrating is recognizing why it’s vital to have peaceful and accessible assembly: Overnight, social justice advocates, and community organizers had [...]
One of the keys to understanding the Deaf community is to examine how the Deaf community is unique. The things that set deaf and hard of hearing consumers apart from their hearing counterparts go well beyond language and communication differences; there are several different social norms and values that make Deaf consumers [...]
The world in normal times is fraught with communication obstacles for deaf and hard of hearing people. Communication obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic are even more challenging to navigate. The results of these compounded barriers can range from frustration and misunderstandings to life and death situations. One thing is clear, trying to [...]
One of the ironies of being deaf: We rely heavily on visual cues to navigate this world, yet our disability is largely invisible to the naked eye. “But ... you don’t even look deaf” is a surprised comment many a deaf individual has encountered. Without seeing immediate telltale cues like sign [...]
“A deaf person walks into a bar.” It may sound like the start of a classic joke formula, but this what actually happens all over the world daily, along with: “A deaf customer walks into your retail store,” or “a deaf taxpayer walks into your tax prep office,” or “a deaf driver [...]
In Mandarin, goodbye is “zai jian.” In German, it is “Tschüss.” In French, it is “À bientôt.” Short, quick and snappy. After a hearing person says it, she walks away or hangs up the phone - promptly. Now, get your stopwatch for a cultural experiment: Just how long is a deaf goodbye? [...]