Soundless World.

Sidony Eno

                                         

For My accessible date project, I decided to take a friend of mine who is  deaf for an exciting evening. We went to a restaurant to have dinner. Then we went to the mall since Alex enjoyed shopping.

Accessibility; When we arrived at the restaurant  Alex,  made signs to me that he wanted to use the restroom. Unfortunately, the line was so long that I decided that we’ll try to cut through the line because he was very pressed. Pulling through the crowd was a hassle because we bumped into people . We had a little trouble at the mall because  vendors walked up to Alex to advertise their products. They just started talking till he signaled that he was deaf.

Comfort;  I realized that Alex was not very comfortable.  The restaurant  was so crowded that everybody looked at Alex when he used the Sign language to me. Some people were even giggling and pointing fingers at us. I became very uncomfortable too. At the mall, Alex was not very comfortable because everyone we came across just wanted to talk, and they walked away when he signaled that he was deaf. However he was a little comfortable when he could communicate his feelings and ideas.

 Control.  When it came time to order our food, another waitress came to take our orders.. She asked what Alex what he wanted to order ,and she stood there waiting for a reply. Then Alex started using the Sign language and the waitress looked very confused. Alex had no control of this situation. Also, Alex had no control of the situation at the mall. Some people were willing to talk to him while others were not.

 Adaptability. When our waitress realized Alex was deaf, she went and called for another waitress who had been trained to use the Sign Language,. While at The mall, a few people were patient enough and gave Alex a pen and paper to write down what he had to say about their products.

  

Activity.  Alex was able to read the menu and he pointed out what he wanted. Our food was served and I know he enjoyed it.

Privacy.  At the restaurant, we had some privacy because I asked to be seated on the table at the end of the room.. At mall  we went into Starbucks where there were very few people.

Legibility.  The fact that  the restaurant had its  menu boldly written down made it easier for Alex to point out what he wanted to eat. Also, the presence of  an employee who understood sign language eased communication.  Alex was able to shop at some stores because the employees either understood sign language or they were patient to let him write all his questions down.

Sociality.  The tables in the restaurant were arranged close to each other, such that people on different tables could hold conversations.  However, nobody tried to talk to us. All they did was stare. The mall was very interactive, and the vendors were willing to associate with people and sell their products.