Starbucks Opens A Store In Japan Where All Of The Staff Is Fluent In Sign Language
Coffee is by far one of the most popular drinks around the globe. In part because it does have a bit of an addiction factor to it, but also because many of us absolutely need that swift kick in the rump every morning to get the gears going inside our heads.
So, in the hopes of making coffee more accessible to a variety of people, Starbucks has recently opened its first coffee shop in Japan that caters to the mute and the deaf. Starbucks calls these the “Signing Stores” and it is the fifth of its kind.
On June 24, Starbucks Coffee in Japan announced on its Twitter that it will be opening a Starbucks Signing Store on June 27 in Kunitachi city, which is located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis and has a high deaf population.
Starbucks announced that it’s opening a “Signing Store” coffee shop dedicated to those with impaired hearing
Image credits: Starbucks
It aims to create an inclusive environment, urging diversity and accessibility to everyone with a speech or hearing impairment and allowing them to enjoy coffee casually and socially. It was said that the store will have 19 deaf employees who will be supporting deaf customers.
“Starbucks has been hiring deaf and hard of hearing partners (employees) since we entered Japan in 1996, and these partners have made incredible impacts in their communities. IInspired by their passion, we created this store as a place of belonging, where our partners and customers can stay true to who they are and be inspired. This store truly represents infinite possibilities for all,” said Takafumi Minaguchi, the CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan in their press release.
The cafe was said to open on June 27 in Kunitachi, Tokyo with the aim of creating a place for all deaf coffee lovers and hearing impaired employees to play an active role working together in their own unique ways
There are 19 hearing impaired partners (employees) currently working in this Signing Store
Image credits: Starbucks
For the time being, whilst the coronavirus pandemic is still at large, the store will only offer takeout coffee and patrons will have to receive a queuing ticket with a number on it before being served to avoid crowding and thus ensure the safety of all customers.
Despite the cafe focusing on those with hearing and speech disabilities, it will be open to all people regardless of whether they have difficulties communicating. There is a special menu sheet and writing instruments as well as special signs to facilitate communication for customers who cannot speak sign language.
Starbucks aimed to create a place where those with hearing impairments would feel like they belong, forming a diverse and accessible environment
Image credits: Starbucks
Image credits: Starbucks
These specialized Starbucks cafes can be recognized by a number of unique features: the Starbucks logo includes hand gestures, various signs and interior aesthetic solutions revolve around the theme of deafness, and tech that helps out with communication (digital notepads and consoles for ordering, including asking to cater to specific needs as well as regular conversation).
According to Starbucks, patrons have several options when ordering in the store. These include contactless speech-to-text voice recognition through a tablet at the register, pointing to items on the menu, or writing on a notepad.
The shop is open to everyone—not just those impaired—with technology and signs helping patrons communicate with the staff
Image credits: Starbucks
Image credits: Starbucks
“The opening of Japan’s first Signing Store is an important moment that represents the incredible passion of our deaf and hard of hearing partners across Japan. We want to showcase how the talent of the deaf and hard of hearing community can spark connections, inspire new possibilities, and help our partners grow their careers with Starbucks,” said Ryotaro Sato, Starbucks Shift Supervisor.
As mentioned previously, this may be the first Signing Store in Japan, but it is certainly not the first of its kind. Starbucks also has Signing Stores in Washington D.C., China, and Malaysia. The latter was also the first within Starbucks’ line of coffee shops dedicated to the mute and the deaf, being established back in 2016.
Besides this, Tokyo is also home to many other dining venues that cater to the mute and the deaf. These include Nok Cafe Tokyo, Sign Cafe ‘Very You’, Social Cafe ‘Sign With Me’, and many more.
Currently, this is Starbucks’ 5th Signing Store, with 4 others based in Washington D.C., China, and Malaysia
Image credits: Starbucks
The first Starbucks Signing Store was opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia back in 2016
Image credits: Starbucks
According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. It is also speculating that the numbers are likely to double in the next 30 years.
By having places like coffee shops, restaurants, general stores, and other commonplace businesses become more accessible to those with various disabilities is a great step forward as it not only makes public venues more inclusive to those impaired, but also serves as a place that educates the society on what it means to live with such disabilities and fosters positive social change, among many other things.
Check out Starbucks’ Signing Store in Washington D.C.
Image credits: Radio.Com
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comment section below!
I love that starbucks is opening up more signing stores, but I really wish the author of this article had actually done some research into the Deaf community. Deaf people in general prefer the terms "deaf" and "hard of hearing" instead of "hearing impaired" or "people with communication difficulties" as this article put it...
yeah... also there is no universal sign language and a lot of countries have their own version of sign language. The handshapes for spelling "Starbucks" were in American Sign Language. Idk if that's the point because Starbucks is in English but......
Load More Replies...In my experience the signing Starbucks in DC is the only one that always gets my name right
Load More Replies...Great that they are able to communicate with more people. I'm just really confused as to why they printed the hand signs on the logo/company sign. Is it a here, this is how this word is signed or is it a your deaf so we think you can only read hand signs and not any other alphabet?
I was in a fast food restaurant and a deaf teen presented his order in text on his phone. The cashier asked aloud if he wanted fries with that, he read lips and nodded, and laughed. Then the cashier signed to him and the guy came alive. It was awesome to watch. Turns out the cashier's girlfriend is hearing impaired -- she reads lips, but they like to sign in public and talk about people.
It is unfortunate that there are only 4 shops with primarily Deaf or Hard of Hearing partners. What isn't mentioned is there are partners who work in other stores who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and they often share some basic signing skills with their teammates. I live in what could be called the Land of Starbucks and frequently hear all kinds of cool stuff about them. As well as some not so great, of course.
I always wondered why sign language wasn't taught in schools. Its really a safety issue, because if you have to communicate with a deaf person because say, there is danger, the seconds lost floundering trying to be understood or understand could result in a needless death. Also, because sign isn't taught in schools, it effectively segregates a population based on their disability. Starbucks is doing good for being inclusive in this instance, but liberal societies have a ways to go for the hearing impaired.
Japan has its own sign language and fingerspelling: http://www.kyoto-be.ne.jp/ed-center/gakko/jsl/ 20 Years ago I stayed in a hostel in Rome during the Deaflympics. It was one of the few that booked online so very popular among the deaf community. I had taken 2 semesters of ASL and our teacher had demonstrated several of the other countries' signs. There were at least 4-5 conversations in different going on at any given moment and though they didn't understand each other exactly, they were so used to looking at signs that they could frequently decipher other languages. There were a limited number of translators for all the athletes and I was sort of drafted. Every day I'd return from a day of exploring and be asked to translate. I'd also taken Italian and at one point I was called upon to translate between and Italian travel agent who spoke no English and a deaf Canadian woman. I was doing it in my head and after a few minutes I thought to myself, "Man, I f*****g ROCK!"
I'm from Malaysia and I never knew of this. I am so ashamed. I should plan a visit soon.
Yeah that's cool! Unfortunately no such store exists in Germany yet, I'd love to visit one just for the experience :P
Load More Replies...I love that starbucks is opening up more signing stores, but I really wish the author of this article had actually done some research into the Deaf community. Deaf people in general prefer the terms "deaf" and "hard of hearing" instead of "hearing impaired" or "people with communication difficulties" as this article put it...
yeah... also there is no universal sign language and a lot of countries have their own version of sign language. The handshapes for spelling "Starbucks" were in American Sign Language. Idk if that's the point because Starbucks is in English but......
Load More Replies...In my experience the signing Starbucks in DC is the only one that always gets my name right
Load More Replies...Great that they are able to communicate with more people. I'm just really confused as to why they printed the hand signs on the logo/company sign. Is it a here, this is how this word is signed or is it a your deaf so we think you can only read hand signs and not any other alphabet?
I was in a fast food restaurant and a deaf teen presented his order in text on his phone. The cashier asked aloud if he wanted fries with that, he read lips and nodded, and laughed. Then the cashier signed to him and the guy came alive. It was awesome to watch. Turns out the cashier's girlfriend is hearing impaired -- she reads lips, but they like to sign in public and talk about people.
It is unfortunate that there are only 4 shops with primarily Deaf or Hard of Hearing partners. What isn't mentioned is there are partners who work in other stores who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and they often share some basic signing skills with their teammates. I live in what could be called the Land of Starbucks and frequently hear all kinds of cool stuff about them. As well as some not so great, of course.
I always wondered why sign language wasn't taught in schools. Its really a safety issue, because if you have to communicate with a deaf person because say, there is danger, the seconds lost floundering trying to be understood or understand could result in a needless death. Also, because sign isn't taught in schools, it effectively segregates a population based on their disability. Starbucks is doing good for being inclusive in this instance, but liberal societies have a ways to go for the hearing impaired.
Japan has its own sign language and fingerspelling: http://www.kyoto-be.ne.jp/ed-center/gakko/jsl/ 20 Years ago I stayed in a hostel in Rome during the Deaflympics. It was one of the few that booked online so very popular among the deaf community. I had taken 2 semesters of ASL and our teacher had demonstrated several of the other countries' signs. There were at least 4-5 conversations in different going on at any given moment and though they didn't understand each other exactly, they were so used to looking at signs that they could frequently decipher other languages. There were a limited number of translators for all the athletes and I was sort of drafted. Every day I'd return from a day of exploring and be asked to translate. I'd also taken Italian and at one point I was called upon to translate between and Italian travel agent who spoke no English and a deaf Canadian woman. I was doing it in my head and after a few minutes I thought to myself, "Man, I f*****g ROCK!"
I'm from Malaysia and I never knew of this. I am so ashamed. I should plan a visit soon.
Yeah that's cool! Unfortunately no such store exists in Germany yet, I'd love to visit one just for the experience :P
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