My name is Ibby, and I’m a deaf man. I lost my hearing after an accident when I was just two years old. Every day on my way to work, I stop by Starbucks to get my usual caramel Frappuccino.
Since I can’t communicate like most people, I usually have my order written on my phone and show it to the cashier. By now, most of them know my order by heart, so I hardly need to show it anymore.
But today was different. The cashier, whose name is Krystal Payne, greeted me with a sign. After handing it to me, she began signing and asked what I’d like to order.
We talked in sign language for about two minutes. I found out that she had spent hours watching YouTube videos to learn sign language—just so she could take my order the same way she does for everyone else.
In that moment, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time—truly equal.
Credit: Ibby Piracha