Melissa “echo” Greenlee is the founder and CEO of deafREVIEW [www.deafreview.com], a website for deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing individuals to rate, review and find #deaffriendly businesses. Born hearing and becoming deaf at 8 years of age has given her a unique perspective on how to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing worlds. She is now engaging in her most important life’s work: to make the world more #deaffriendly for over 36 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals living in the USA.

Learn more about Melissa “echo” Greenlee at www.deafreview.com

Justin Osmond Biography

Justin Osmond, the 2nd son of Merrill and Mary Osmond, was born with a severe/profound sensorial neural hearing loss. Diagnosed at the age of 2 with a 90% hearing loss and after 12 years of intense speech and listening therapy, he can now speak with passion and through modern-day technology, hear with conviction.

Due to Justin’s desire to help everyone that may be struggling with hearing loss, he launched the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund in honor of his late grandmother Olive. As Founder and CEO of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, Justin has one goal: to bring music to the ears of men, women and children living with hearing loss around the world. After serving for 11 years as public relations, board member, and a spokesperson for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which is the largest outreach program in providing hearing help to children worldwide, Justin continues to travel the world inspiring those living with a hearing loss with his experience and story of hope and perseverance. In his recently published book “Hearing with my Heart”, he shares his story with the world in order to help everyone understand the struggles of living with a hearing loss and how to overcome it. He lives every day by his personal motto: “I may have a hearing loss, but that hearing loss does not have me.”

See more at JustinOsmond.com and OliveOsmond.org .

Deaf and Hard of Hearing” will be abbreviated deaf/hh

Q1: How did @deafREVIEW Come About?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: As a deaf consumer, I was frustrated with businesses lack of knowledge on how to serve deaf/hh customers. With a communication barrier, small things such as how I am able to order my coffee in the am make all the difference in my day. Deaf/hh people need a place to share their consumer reviews. Sharing reviews & feedback improves customer service.

Q2: What is the main concept of @deafREVIEW?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: deafREVIEW is a place for deaf/hh people, to rate, review & find #deaffriendly businesses in the USA. Through consumer reviews, articles & educational trainings, deafREVIEW is working to increase deaf-friendliness worldwide.

Q3: What does it mean for a wedding business to be #deaffriendly?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: It means being accessible to your deaf/hh wedding guests in the same way that you are accessible to your hearing guests. You should ask yourself, am I giving the deaf/hh wedding guest the same experience as the hearing wedding guests? It means thinking about the best place for them to sit where they can see and/or hear well. It means thinking about how they will access the vows, speeches & social experience? Because no deaf/hh person is exactly alike, a good place to start is getting to know your deaf guest & their preferred communication method. There are different degrees of hearing loss. Some deaf/hh people hear well enough to utilize hearing aids and have hearing amplifiers reviews that could help them choose the best one for them. Some deaf people do not a hear a thing. Some deaf people use Sign Language. Some speech-read & some do not. Knowing this information about your guest will set the stage for creating an accessible experience.

Q4: How much of the US & global population is deaf & hard of hearing ?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Q4A: In the USA, there are 38 million deaf/hh people [source: National Association for the Deaf]. That’s over 12% of the US population. Globally, there are over 70 million [source: World Federation for the Deaf] .

Q5:How is a wedding or an event determined to be #deaffriendly ?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: A #deaffriendly wedding is one that is accessible to your deaf/hh wedding guest. Meaning, your deaf/hh guest can access the vows & speeches either in written format or through a sign language interpreter. When it comes to having a wedding, it is important that you can accommodate everyone into your special day, and looking for agencies that can provide you with an interpreter can help them to feel just as included as everyone else. Because our eyes often take over for our ears, it means being able to see clearly to gather information in our environment.

Q6: How important is lighting when meeting or hosting events for deaf & hard of hearing clients?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Have you ever had a conversation with someone that is standing in front of a window? You can’t see their face, only their outline. Imagine turning the sound off and trying to speech read what they are trying to say. It’s impossible! Good lighting is necessary to communicate. Did you know? At deaf socials, guests gather in the kitchen. The kitchen is often the most well lit room in a home.

Answer:

Justin Osmond: Lighting is very important as the deaf/hh rely a lot on their perception and views for lipreading, ASL, etc. Lighting is very important as the deaf /hh rely on their sight senses and views as they lip read, ASL< etc... Q7: How can wedding companies do better at showing their products or service without just talking about it?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Cut down on the “yak yak” & incorporate the other senses into your product or service. Creating a visual & tactile experience will help clientele remember your product & service, even the hearing one’s!

Q8: How can pen & pencil or Technology be helpful in meeting or hosting events for deaf/HH clients or customers?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: If you are relying on speech reading to communicate with a deaf/hh person 1:1, pen & paper or a tablet can save a lot of confusion. “Even the best speechreaders only see 30% of speech on the mouth, the other 70% is guesswork.” [source: Lip reading on wiki] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_reading . This is a huge gap. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to use pen & paper. Writing things down can save you the pain of having to explain later why your bill is not $100, but $1,000. Not writing down important details such as these could be a costly mistake that your don’t need.

Q9: How can Wedding companies make their Website more #deaffriendly ?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: I can’t stress this enough – closed caption your videos. There is nothing worse than seeing a beautifully designed website & then realizing you can’t access the information. Adding subtitles on YouTube videos is super easy. Here’s a link to a quick tutorial: http://youtu.be/qbUcv3Bc61g

Q10: If you are unsure what accommodations your deaf/HH clients & customers prefer what should you do?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Every deaf/hh person is different. There is no one-size fits all approach. Never assume you know what’s best for your client & always ask what their preferred communication preference is. What works for a signing deaf person doesn’t necessarily work for a hard of hearing person who relies on their hearing aid. If all else fails, follow their lead.

Q11: What are the best ways to locate a Sign Language Interpreter?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: If your deaf/hh client or guest signs, they will be the best resource to help you in locating a qualified interpreter. If you live in a large metropolitan city, chances are they will have a sign language interpreting agency that can help you. Including the deaf/hh client or guest in the process will assure you receive quality service.

Q12: What can florists do to make their designs more #deaffriendly ?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Tall centerpieces are so annoying. They block our vision & make it impossible to connect & communicate with others. If your bride insists on tall centerpieces, create at least one smaller piece for the table of your deaf/hh wedding guest. They will thank you for considering them.

Q13: What should wedding photographers keep in mind when working with Deaf/HH clients?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Be flexible! Your camera is often in front of one of the most important features for effective communication – your face! When your face is blocked, we can’t pick up on verbal nor non-verbal cues. Before you start, ask your client to create hand signals for key phrases you use such as “head down”, “smile” & “move”. Then, consistently use them.

Answer:

Justin Osmond: I would suggest the photographer gets a list of what pictures the deaf/hh couples want ahead of time. Make sure the photographer understands that deaf/hh rely on facial expression, body language, and lip reading.

Q14: Why is Waving the white napkins an alternative at weddings?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Traditionally, when you want the newlyweds to kiss, you tap your fork against a glass. Because deaf/hh people may not hear the clinking of forks, waving a white napkin is our visual signal for newlyweds to kiss! Waving a white napkin is a fun, simple & effective alternative!

Q15: What can DJs do for the 1st dance & for entertainment to be more #deaffriendly ?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: How will music will be accessible to deaf/hh guests? Not all deaf/hh people will hear it, but there are still ways to enjoy it. Could you utilize real-time captioning? A sign language interpreter? A karaoke machine with lyrics on a projector? If the first dance is special to the bride, consider printing the lyrics & giving a copy to your deaf/hh wedding guests.

Answer:

Justin Osmond: The DJ can place the speakers against the ground so the deaf/hh can hear/feel the vibration better. At our reception, the music was far enough away from us in greeting line so it wasn’t distracting and hard to hear.

What does the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund do?

Answer:

Justin Osmond: The OOHF is a non-profit 501c3 and not only provides quality hearing aids to the deaf and hard of hearing but we are also bridge builders by helping these kids be all they can be. We intervene at an early age to help them reconnect with their families, friends and life by providing resources inspiring messages, experiences, examples and role models. If you’d like more info on what it’s like to overcome a challenge like HL, I wrote a book called “Hearing with my Heart.” You can check it out at http://www.justinosmond.com .

How can everyone help support the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund?

Answer:

Justin Osmond: You can visit our website: http://www.hearingfund.org for more opportunities to donate, volunteer, educate, etc.

Q16: What would you like everyone to take away from this #weddingmarket chat?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: There are 38 million deaf/hh people in the USA. That is over 12% of the US population. It not only makes good business sense to be accessible to them, it’s the right thing to do! The needs of deaf/hh people are very diverse. A deaf/hh person is the best person to know what their needs are. Don’t be afraid to ask the deaf/hh wedding guest, “how can we best serve you?” We won’t bite!

Answer:

Justin Osmond: THANK YOU again for this opportunity to participate with you all! Thanks again for supporting better hearing month.

How can companies be reviewed on deafREVIEW?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: If you’ve worked with a deaf/hh client before, ask them to plug a review in at http://www.deafreview.com . The deaf/hh community is tight nit and relies heavily on peer reviews & word of mouth.

#WeddingMarket Questions From Twitter:
1. @StCroixWeddings How do you family and friends determine a need for services?

Answer:

Melissa “echo” Greenlee: Good Q! Ask the deaf/hh person what their needs are. They are the best ppl to ask.