"So the cafe becomes their stable place. It's their rock," he said."
""What I just love about it is that there's so many different people that come," said Wachspress, who classifies herself as hard of hearing and primarily reads lips to communicate."
""It's so eclectic ... just many different kinds of people from all different backgrounds. And the one thing we have in common is that we sign.""
Woodstock Cafe in Portland uses American Sign Language as its primary language and offers a microphone-and-transcription option for non-ASL speakers. The cafe is owned by CymaSpace, a nonprofit focused on making art accessible to the Deaf community. The cafe hires people who are deaf or hard of hearing, drawing staff from across the country and providing stable employment. Weekly events include ASL meetups and game nights such as Sign Squad on Tuesdays. Attendees span the hearing spectrum, including cochlear-implant users, lip readers, ASL students, and those born deaf. The cafe operates as a social, cultural, and employment hub for the Deaf community.
Read at Fortune
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