It was an experiment, just to see how much interest there would be. There was a lot.
Jason Hurdich really likes coffee. He is also deaf, which makes ordering his favorites a challenge at times — unless an employee knows American Sign Language (ASL).
At the Starbucks on Laurens Road in Greenville, several of the baristas do know ASL.
So when there was an opportunity to combine coffee and a gathering for the deaf community in Greenville and other parts of the Upstate, Hurdich and a colleague worked with Starbucks to host a Signing Starbucks Night.
“I thought, maybe we’ll get, like, 30 or 40 people,” Hurdich said through an interpreter. “But the first time, we had over 300 people show up. Obviously, people are hungry to network.”
The coffee-fueled network drew people from North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee and has flourished, despite being suspended like everything else during the pandemic. The monthly event is now in its fourth year, with the next gathering scheduled for Oct. 27.
Advocate and mentor for Deaf community
Hurdich lives in Greenville and is a full-time professor of ASL in Clemson University’s Language Department.
Clemson offers South Carolina’s only bachelor’s degree program in ASL and has classes in ASL Studies and an educational interpreting minor. ASL is the second-most studied language at Clemson, after Spanish. Hurdich is one of five ASL professors at the school.
An accomplished, nationally recognized interpreter, Hurdich is also a powerful advocate and mentor for the Deaf community in Greenville and beyond.
“Communication is not just about words. It’s about emotions, context and culture,” he says.
Jason Hurdich selected as Greenville News Community Hero
For his work to bring an understanding of deaf culture and his dedication to improving the inclusion of deaf individuals into the greater Greenville community, Jason Hurdich has been selected as a Greenville News Community Hero.
The Community Hero…
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