Starbucks Incident

The incident that occurred at a Starbucks store in NYC this week is fueling many discussions around the topic of insensitivity to the deaf population.  

If you are unaware of what occurred, here is a 1 minute synopsis:  a group of deaf customers at a Starbucks store in NYC were allegedly openly mocked and ridiculed because of their speech.  In addition, according to the report, Starbucks employees contacted the police regarding a disturbance hoping to get the customers kicked out of the store.  The group of 12 customers are part of a group called the Deaf Chat Coffee club.  A lawsuit has since been filed by the deaf customers.

Starbucks leadership responded that they are fully investigating the incident and consider all discrimination intolerable.

As this story unfolds in the courts, we will be able to hopefully sift through the allegations to find the truth.

I am shocked that a story like this could actually happen in this day and age.  With all of the knowledge, information and exposure we have to issues regarding disabilities coupled with the millions of dollars that are pumped into sensitivity training at corporations (hoping that Starbucks had provided this as part of their employee training) you would think that something like this would not happen.  Once again,  all it really boils down to is to follow one rule in life and it's golden:  treat others they way you want to be treated.  

What are your thoughts on the incident?  If you are hard of hearing or deaf, have you encountered or witnessed anything similar? If you are comfortable, please share your story below.