Being hard of hearing, I’ve used sign language all my life, and my best friend Riley is deaf. We met at Hazelwood Café one afternoon, happily catching up in sign language. A curious child nearby tried to copy us, but his mother harshly stopped him, calling our signing rude.
She then confronted us, demanding we stop signing because it distracted her son. I calmly told her sign language is our way of communicating. She accused us of being dramatic and told us to move somewhere private. Her son quietly defended us, but she ignored him.
The café went quiet until James, a waiter, stood up for us. He told the woman that sign language isn’t disruptive and that discrimination isn’t allowed. The crowd applauded, and the woman left embarrassed.
The boy signed an apology, and Riley taught him how to sign “friend.” James brought us cookies, sharing that his sister is deaf and he understands our experience.
This moment showed how kindness and courage can break down prejudice. We’ll keep using our language proudly, no matter what others say.
