A bank in Northeast D.C. is making sure that its branch and employees are equipped to serve those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The recently opened Chase Bank branch on Morse Street has two deaf associates, American Sign Language interpreters and technology, including on-demand video interpretation services, to help make banking easier for deaf customers.
Associate Banker A’nyia Brown, speaking through an interpreter, told WTOP that since the branch opened in July, she’s had about three or four deaf clients.
“They were excited to be working with a deaf person,” she said.
As for her, it’s easier because she doesn’t have to have to use the interpreter to communicate.
“I can just speak directly to them. So that’s nice.”
Brown, 26, is a graduate of nearby Gallaudet University, the world’s largest liberal arts college for deaf people. The university advised Chase on the opening of this location, as well as its other branch on H Street NE, which opened in 2019.
Despite Chase’s efforts, Brown said there have been hiccups and more can be done to accommodate deaf employees. For instance, her first language is ASL, and Chase employee manuals are written in English.
“Some things I don’t understand because it’s in English, it’s my second language, and it can be really complicated,” she said. “With customers, things are going great.”
But sometimes a hearing customer won’t be aware that she is the associate and instead will speak to her interpreter, or an interpreter will misunderstand what she’s telling a customer.
“There are some of those barriers, but what’s been nice is that my team will step in and help me from there and to try to figure it out. That way, we can make sure that the customer is happy too.”
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act, nearly every business needs to provide accommodations for disabled people, including an ASL interpreter for deaf employees. Brown said she wants relevant government agencies to ensure enforcing ADA standards is a priority because she’s found there are still too many businesses that don’t comply.
A Chase representative said the bank is exploring opening similar branches in other parts of the country.
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