NewsNational News

Actions

This Starbucks drive-thru allows customers to order using sign language

Posted at 2:06 PM, Nov 05, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-05 14:11:24-05

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A brief exchange between a Starbucks barista and a customer has gone viral not for what was said, but for what remained unsaid, at least out loud. Rebecca King, who is Deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, was able to order her Mocha Frappuccino and a tall Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino using the St. Augustine, Florida Starbucks’ video ordering screen.

King posted her video on Facebook along with the message: “Share it away! We can change the world!”

The video has been shared nearly 200,000 times since Tuesday.

The video screen plays an important role at the St. Augustine Starbucks, which is near the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, according to the coffee company.

“Our store just opened in August and since then we’ve been able to serve customers who are Deaf in a personal way because four of our partners know ASL and because our drive-thru system makes ordering easy,” Erin Berkner, the assistant store manager, said. “People who are Deaf feel comfortable here and that’s our goal for all of our customers.”