0:02: Hi, I'm Neil, the host of the Good News podcast.
0:05: This is your source for good news, fun stories, and sonic joy.
0:09: All of this goodness is coming to you from beautiful Chicago, Illinois.
0:14: For today's episode of the Good News podcast, we are headed to Portland, Oregon, where the deaf and hard of hearing community in the area has found a very cool new hub to hang out and sign with each other.
0:29: The Woodstock Cafe is a project from CymaSpace, a local nonprofit in Portland that makes art accessible to the deaf community.
0:41: Already a very cool.
0:42: idea.
0:43: The cafe employs primarily deaf and hard of hearing baristas who communicate with American Sign Language.
0:50: If you were to go in there as a non-ASL speaker, you could place your order into a microphone which transcribes your order that can then be read, or you can type it out on a keyboard.
1:05: All of that is awesome.
1:06: Previously on the Good News podcast, we've shared stories about, Starbucks cafes that were doing something similar, but what stuck out to me about the Woodstock Cafe is that it has really become a community hub for the deaf and hard of hearing people in the area.
1:25: It's home to a group called the Sign Squad, which communicates with American Sign Language, but importantly, welcomes people from across the hearing spectrum.
1:36: So people who are completely deaf, people who don't, Hear super well, and people who can hear and are getting some practice with their American Sign Language.
1:46: The cafe also hosts ASL game nights, and a variety of nights just for people to hang out and communicate with sign language.
1:55: I learned about this in an article from Oregon Live by Alison Barr.
2:00: It's an excellent read, and it seems like she was able to spend a pretty good chunk of time at the cafe.
2:06: Andre Grey.
2:08: Known locally as Dre, runs the Woodstock Cafe, and future plans for him and the Cyberspace crew include opening a deaf Equity Center in a nearby space to further expand the group's mission.
2:24: Really cool, always so good to learn about people building community and welcoming so many other people into that community as well.
2:33: That's the good news I have for you today.
2:35: Enjoy the rest of your day.
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2:58: The music you hear on the show is from Poddington Bear.
3:00: Have a great day.