Starbucks Has Opened A New Store In Japan For Staff And Customers Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing
Starbucks’ first sign language store in Tokyo, Japan, is run by 25 staff members, 19 of whom are deaf or hard of hearing.
Starbucks has opened its first “Signing Store” in Japan for staff and customers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Located in Kunitachi City, Tokyo, the store is run by 25 staff members, 19 of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, according to Japan Times.
The interior is designed with accessibility in mind; customers can place their orders through contactless speech-to-text voice recognition on a tablet at the register, pointing to items on the menu or writing them down on a notepad. Customers then track and pick up their orders on screens with sign language animations.
Along with a Starbucks logo written out in sign language, the store also features artwork inspired by sign language designed by artist Hidehiko Kado, a child of deaf adults.
This is Starbucks’ fifth “Signing Store” worldwide, with other stores in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Washington D.C., Guangzhou, China, and Penang, Malaysia.
