Man Who Is Deaf Was "Shocked" by Unplanned Interaction with Waitress at Local Restaurant (Exclusive) A small act made an ordinar...

 Man Who Is Deaf Was "Shocked" by Unplanned Interaction with Waitress at Local Restaurant (Exclusive)

A small act made an ordinary dinner a special time for a deaf man and a waitress to connect.

A deaf man and his wife were pleasantly surprised when a waitress at one of their favorite restaurants in Indiana started using sign language.

He has had similar experiences before, but this one meant even more because it happened in a place that was so important and familiar to them.

The unexpected connection made him feel seen, understood, and welcome in a way that words can't always do.

Haney tells PEOPLE exclusively, "My first thoughts were that I was shocked and excited because not many waiters know American Sign Language (ASL)."

His wife studied ASL interpreting in college, but he was happy that he didn't have to depend on her to talk to him.

His wife, Maggie Haney, who is 33 years old, says that when they are together, she usually translates for him. She says this is not because he can't or doesn't want to talk to her, but because "it is just faster for me to interpret."

She said that he can talk to hearing people on his own, using a combination of lip reading, speech, gestures, and talk-to-text apps on his phone.

In this case, the waitress knew enough basic sign language to understand his food order and have a short conversation, which made the interaction feel natural and smooth.

He says, "Most of the time, I have to work extra hard to talk to people who don't know ASL." "I sometimes feel alone as a deaf person because it's not always easy to talk to people. "I don't have to work hard to talk to waiters when they know even a little bit of ASL."

Robert owns a moving company, so he doesn't often meet people who know ASL. Most of his customers don't know how to use sign language.

He says that small things that hearing people do, like making eye contact or writing things down, can make a big difference in how well they communicate.

Robert stresses the difficulties and limits of lip reading by saying, "Please don't tell them to just read your lips."

Knowing the ASL alphabet or a few simple signs can really help someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Maggie says, "I just want people to be willing to learn and talk to people who are different from them."

"People often look scared or even angry when they see that my husband is deaf." I hope our video makes more people want to be nice and polite.

Robert and Maggie make content to help people learn about the deaf community and encourage them to learn sign language and treat deaf people with the same respect and care as anyone else.

She says, "Deaf people can do anything." "The only thing they can't do is hear. That's it." So when the waitress said she knew a little bit of sign language, I thought it was a great chance to show how accessibility can make a difference.