Have A Very Happy Thanksgiving

Today was a special day because it was Thanksgiving. I wrote all about my Thanksgiving meal in the article below.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Tim Horton's Drive-Thru Lacks Assistance For The Deaf

Tonight I stopped at the Tim Horton's drive-thru to see what kind of services they had available for deaf people. As I pulled up to the speakers, I was hoping to see some kind of sign directing deaf people where to put in their orders. Well there was absolutely nothing there for those with hearing and speech difficulties. I stared blankly at the speakers and put in my order the best as I could. Then someone said something back to me through the speakers and I didn't understand a word being said over it.

I looked at the screen hoping they would close caption everything being said from the speakers. There was nothing captioned at all. I looked blankly at the big menu on the screen and saw nothing indicating to me what the person said. The world needs to understand that deaf people have no use for speakers. Please make it fair to everyone in this world and provide assistance for deaf people at all drive-thru's. I spoke to the supervisor there and I asked her to put up a sign directing deaf people to skip the speakers and to pull up to the window. Then I suggested to her to inform the manager that providing touch screens there would help millions of people and not just the deaf.


You can read more about what happened at Tim Horton's here at:
Tim Hortons Drive-Thru Does Not Provide Assistance For The Deaf

Arby's Drive-Thru Doesn't Provide Any Assistance For Deaf People

Today I decided to stop at Arby's after church to get a roast beef sandwich. When I pulled up to the screen with the menu on it, I didn't see any sticker or sign directing deaf people where to put in their orders. Therefore I was very disappointed. I have been deaf all my life for 49 years and some of the drive-thru restaurants still don't meet deaf people's communication needs. It doesn't look like anybody out there is doing anything to change this.

Number one I would recommend that Arby's put up a sign or a sticker directing those with speech and hearing difficulties where to go. They certainly won't feel comfortable ordering from a speaker when they can't hear or speak well. It is unfair for some people have to go inside to put in their order when they could do it outside from their car. So please make things fair for everyone. Consider putting up touch screens for all your customers. For now I would advise Arby's to put up a sticker like what McDonald's has giving assistance for those with speech and hearing difficulties. That shouldn't be hard to do, nor it shouldn't be expensive.

For your information I received a letter from the VP of Arby's. He is going to see what they can do to make a better experience for all their guests as a result from reading my article below.

Arby's Drive-Thru Needs Assistance For Deaf People

All Drive-Thru Places Should Have Touch Screens For Everybody

Have you ever had difficulties ordering from a drive-thru? Do the words come out unclear and broken up through the speakers? Do the person understand or hear you when you talk into the speakers? Do you have to speak up for them to hear your order? Do they ever take your order wrong due not to hearing you right? This can be a major problem when ordering food at any drive-thru restaurant.

In order to solve this problem throughout the world, every drive-thru should consider installing touch screens to order from. This would solve the major problem in the deaf society when using a drive-thru. It would also help those with speech difficulties that can't talk through a speaker. Most deaf and hard of hearing people would really like to use a touch screen at the drive-thru's to make their orders. For now they either have to pull up to the window or go inside. This is very unfair to those with hearing difficulties. Please be fair to everyone in this world and treat us all equally.

I have been deaf for 49 years and not much has improved for me when it comes to ordering out at restaurants. Please to those who manage the drive-thru restaurants to consider installing touch screen menus. This would benefit everyone in the world, not just those with speech and hearing difficulties. Most people want this so why not put them in now and make everyone happier. The speakers at the drive-thru's are quite a nuisance. Please make the changes now for all of us. We want touch screens.

To the managers and owners of all drive-thru restaurants please take this into consideration. This includes Burger king, Arby's, Tim Horton's, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, Mighty Taco's, and all other drive thru's out there.

Related articles:

Drive-Thru Places Needs Touch Screens

Burger King Drive-Thru Needs Assistance For The Deaf

Drive-Thru Restaurants Should Provide Touch Screens For The Deaf

It seems like nothing much changed in terms of providing assistance for the deaf at drive-thru restaurants. Yesterday I noticed one of them had a small sticker on the bottom of the ordering menu screen outside. You can barely see it unless you look at it closely. All it said was those who have speech or hearing difficulties should drive up to the window to put in an order.

For those who are completely deaf that can't speak I'm assuming they write everything down on a piece of paper and hand it over to the person at the window. As far as them signing, I don't think many people that work at these fast food restaurants know any sign language. I have been to many drive-thru restaurants and not one person used sign language for me when I told them I was deaf. It must be pretty difficult for deaf people that can't talk to order at a drive-thru window. Number one they can't hear over a speaker. Number two they can't speak very well therefore how do they know if the other person understands them? Number three this is unfair to the deaf customers. We all should be treated equally and not be put through a hassle as a customer when making an order.

I would advise that all drive-thru restaurants start putting up touch screen machines for everyone. That way when those with speech and hearing difficulties want to make an order they can do it easily. Many people with hearing problems avoid going to drive-thru restaurants knowing they will have a difficult time making an order. Most people that work at these restaurants have not been trained to communicate with deaf people in sign language. Not one of them has done that for me in 40 years.

So why not place some touch screens in front of each drive-thru restaurant for the deaf customers and for everyone else as well? That way you will get more orders and people will stop avoiding drive-thru restaurants due to speech and hearing problems. Please treat your deaf customers equally and not differently to others. It's only fair. What do you think?

You can read more about this below by clicking on the link.
Touch Screens At Drive-Thru Restaurants

The McDonald's Drive-Thru Provides Assistance For The Deaf

Sometimes when I am on the road and feeling hungry, I like to stop at a drive-thru restaurant. When it is cold outside, I'd prefer to order from my car than to go inside. In the past I've had some very unpleasant experiences at drive-thru restaurants. So I have tried to avoid them as much as possible.

One time I went to a MacDonald's many years ago and I couldn't understand what they said over the speaker. At the time I had no idea you could just pull up to the window and order if you couldn't hear them due to a sticker on their screen. It says that if you have a hearing or speech problem you should drive up to the window and order from there. For some reason I have never noticed or seen these stickers before on the menu at the McDonald's drive-thru restaurants.

One time when I put in an order I couldn't hear them and I had no idea if they understood me. When I pulled up to the window they gave me the wrong order. I wasn't happy because I waited a long time for it. Also I was feeling very uncomfortable putting in an order at the drive-thru because I had no idea what they said. Really they should start providing closed captioning screens and caption everything being said over the speakers. This would help the deaf people a lot and also the elderly who are losing their hearing.