Deaf-Friendly Places
Support Businesses That Support Accessibility
Discover local businesses and organizations that actively welcome and support the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind community.
TruBiz Connections
Through customized training, accessibility consulting, and communication strategies, we help organizations create more welcoming and effective environments while improving customer service, employee engagement, and overall communication. Whether you’re looking to enhance accessibility, better serve the Deaf community, or strengthen your team’s confidence in working across communication differences, TruBiz Connections provide practical, real-world solutions tailored to your organization’s needs.
What makes a Deaf-friendly business?
- If the owner/employees are Deaf, hard of hearing, or fluent in ASL.
- If they provide ASL interpreting/captioning or other requested accommodations.
- If the business is willing to learn ASL and ensure accessibility.
- If a D/HH person confirms it’s a supportive workplace.
Curious and like some feedback? How to get started?
TrueBiz Connections helps businesses and organizations build stronger connections with Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers, employees, and community members.
———Explore Businesses By Category ———
Community Events
- Beyond the Nest — search for ASL interpreted events in Rochester
- Lilac Festival — ASL/Music page
- Monroe County Libraries — contact the specific library directly if you’d like to attend an event and request an ASL interpreter
- Rochester Kids Out and About — search for kid-friendly events in Rochester that have ASL interpreting
Movie Theatres
- Movies may show subtitles on the screen (open-captioned/“OC”) OR may offer a captioning device: AMC Assistive Moviegoing
- AMC — open-captioned movie information. Check their app/website for current movie dates and times, as availability varies.
- Tinseltown — offers on-screen captioned shows on Sundays and Wednesdays.
- The Little Theatre — offers open-captioned movies on Thursday evenings and first screenings on Sundays.
Medical / Doctor’s Offices
- Elmwood Dental / Dr. Christopher Lehfeldt, DDS
- Hearing Aid Works Audiology Team
- Rochester Hearing and Speech Center: Audiology Team (Austen Beaird, AuD, Sydney Cruz, AuD both use ASL)
- Strong Ear, Nose, and Throat — Dr. Ophir Handzel (new CI doctor; has a Deaf technician in the office)
- Dr. Meghan Fox, licensed clinical psychologist
- John L. Norris Addiction Treatment Center
Museums, Art Galleries, Educational Venues
- Ganondagan State Historic Site / Indigenous Music & Arts Festival — ASL interpreters provided for the weekend of the festival
- Genesee Country Village Museum — offers ASL-interpreted events occasionally or upon request
- Rochester Brainery — please contact them if you’d like a class interpreted
- Seneca Park Zoo — committed to ongoing ASL training for staff; occasionally hosts Deaf Awareness Day with ASL interpreters
- Strong Museum of Play — offers accessibility options including Aira app access, captioned exhibitions, and interpreters with advance notice. Hosts Deaf Awareness Day once a year
- Susan B. Anthony House — ASL interpreters provided with enough notice. Offers Sign-Speak as a communication option
Other Entertainment
- Hupstate Circus Festival — CODA-involved, ASL-interpreting & No/Low Dialogue shows
- NY Paranormal — occasionally has ASL-interpreted paranormal investigations or led by a Deaf investigator
Restaurants / Bars / Coffeehouses / Wineries
- Casa Larga Winery — has a CODA employee and is committed to ensuring communication is clear
- Deer Run Winery — CODA-owned
- Equal Grounds Community Cafe
- Flora — Victor Santiago, Events Coordinator
- Starbucks — many locations have employees who use ASL, hire Deaf/Hard of Hearing people, and support communication access.
Stores
- Before Your Quiet Eyes Books and Art
- Home Depot — Victor, NY location has several Deaf/Hard of Hearing employees, CODAs, and others familiar with the Deaf community.
- Honeyed Acres Farms (CODA-owned)
Theatrical Productions
- CenterStage Theatre at JCC — usually one show per production is open-captioned. Best seating for captioning is the front/right side of the theatre
- Geva Theatre — offers captioned and ASL-interpreted performances. Best seating for captioning/interpreting is orchestra right. Contact the Box Office for assistance with tickets
- Kodak Center — contact them to request ASL interpreting
- OFC Creations — check website for ASL-interpreted performances. If you do not see an interpreted performance, contact Hunter E. Vaughn at Hunter@OFCCreations.com
- Rochester Broadway Theatre League — scheduled performances tend to be ASL-interpreted on Thursday evenings and captioned on Sunday afternoons. Additional accommodations can be requested by calling 585-222-5000 or emailing mail@rbtl.org. Ask about best seating for viewing interpreting/captioning
- RIT/NTID Performing Arts — NTID productions are performed in ASL with voice interpretation. Contact Joseph Fox at jwfnpa@rit.edu
- RIT Productions — performances are in voice with captioning available for all performances. Some shows are ASL interpreted. Contact the listed accessibility contact if additional accommodations are needed
- The Company Theatre — one show per production is ASL-interpreted, usually Saturday evenings
Veterinary Services
- Walworth Animal Hospital — Dr. Jennifer Miller
Wellness
- Aerial Arts – ask for Gwendolyn Shaw
- Central Rock Gym — typically alternate first Saturday/Sunday of the month. More information posted in the ASL Rochester community group
- The Elegant Gent Hair Salon — Doriel Nadworny-Pryntz (CODA)
- TruYoga — offers interpreted classes Saturdays at 10:30 AM
- Stache Grooming Lounge — ask for Julie Raymond
- Shear Inspiration — ask for Jess
- WellinLife — Denise Wellin
Old/inaccurate information? Add new information?
Please let us know!
Email: deafrochester@gmail.com