NEW YORK (AP) – Soon after customers arrive at Mozzeria for the first time, they notice something’s different about the restaurant: Virtually every staffer is deaf.
Owners Russ and Melody Stein also are deaf, and have run their San Francisco restaurant since 2011. They’ve managed to have a thriving business by overcoming the obstacles deaf people often face when they become business owners, including stereotypes about what deaf people are capable of doing.
“We have the same skills as a hearing individual,” Russ Stein says.
Like the Steins, many deaf business owners face challenges that those who can hear may not. They often encounter prejudice. Many don’t have the resources they need. And while the Internet has made it possible for them to connect with vendors, bankers, customers and government offices, it’s not as accessible as it could be.
For instance, the Small Business Administration started a videophone service this year enabling deaf owners to communicate via sign language with agency employees and making it easier to get help and information about loans and other SBA services. Previously, owners had to use teletype services that were slower and didn’t offer the human interaction video relay does.