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Accessibility not-fail: spelling
Jun. 2nd, 2012 12:22 amSo the scenario might be familiar -- you go to some store or other, and as part of some hilarious information-gathering scheme or other, the poor retail minion asks you for your name and/or address. Some names are easy to just say and have spelled right. Other names ... not so much.
I have the good fortune to have an uncommon last name and an uncommon street name. (Counters, take note: that's an infelicity of two.)
So there I was at Radio Shack in search of some video cable on a Thursday night, as one does, and the cashier asked me for contact information as part of the transaction. I automatically spelled my last name for her, since I am used to needing to, and as I usually do when I have a hand free, I spelled along with my hand as well. It helps me focus on spelling it correctly, it helps keep me in practice, and it's been known to dispel some of those "Was that an L?" moments, because that particular sign is easily readable even by folks who don't read ASL. Then I spelled my street name.
"Are you taking a class?" the cashier asked me, after completing the data entry.
I was baffled for a good 30 seconds at the non-sequitur, but I'm not taking any classes...
Her response, on the lines of wishing that she'd taken it up earlier, because it was so useful, and she was hard of hearing, clued me in. Obviously, the only reason that someone apparently fully hearing would manually spell words for no apparent reason in a transaction in a public place with someone they'd never met before who was not drawing attention to their hearing difficulties in the workplace, was because that person was taking a class. Obviously.
I explained the habit, and that I'd learned some sign language in preschool but had forgotten most of it. Shopping complete, I headed on my way.
I was pretty stoked to realize that my little habit that I do for no better reason than it makes me happy and helps me focus, and sometimes helps avoid misunderstandings, had just made a part of her day that *had* to suck in general, really not suck that time. That little reward made my evening.
I have the good fortune to have an uncommon last name and an uncommon street name. (Counters, take note: that's an infelicity of two.)
So there I was at Radio Shack in search of some video cable on a Thursday night, as one does, and the cashier asked me for contact information as part of the transaction. I automatically spelled my last name for her, since I am used to needing to, and as I usually do when I have a hand free, I spelled along with my hand as well. It helps me focus on spelling it correctly, it helps keep me in practice, and it's been known to dispel some of those "Was that an L?" moments, because that particular sign is easily readable even by folks who don't read ASL. Then I spelled my street name.
"Are you taking a class?" the cashier asked me, after completing the data entry.
I was baffled for a good 30 seconds at the non-sequitur, but I'm not taking any classes...
Her response, on the lines of wishing that she'd taken it up earlier, because it was so useful, and she was hard of hearing, clued me in. Obviously, the only reason that someone apparently fully hearing would manually spell words for no apparent reason in a transaction in a public place with someone they'd never met before who was not drawing attention to their hearing difficulties in the workplace, was because that person was taking a class. Obviously.
I explained the habit, and that I'd learned some sign language in preschool but had forgotten most of it. Shopping complete, I headed on my way.
I was pretty stoked to realize that my little habit that I do for no better reason than it makes me happy and helps me focus, and sometimes helps avoid misunderstandings, had just made a part of her day that *had* to suck in general, really not suck that time. That little reward made my evening.
