Jack raced around the house. He'd already tidied his bedroom and now the lounge room was in his sight as he strived to remove anything that could leave him feeling embarrassed in front of Elsa.
Carefully, he dusted the small bookshelf which lay in the corner of the lounge room. He'd been tempted to hide some of the photo's that were displayed, but his mother had already warned him against it. Instead, he stopped to gaze at the pictures that lay in the frames.
His hand lingered on a photo of him, aged 7, sitting on Santa's lap at his old school's Christmas fete. In his hand lay the man's fake snowy beard. At the time, his natural curiosity had got the better of him and he had pulled it off. He chuckled as he remembered the reactions of the children who had been waiting behind him in line. It had come as quite a shock when they had realised that Santa was actually their gym teacher, Mr Macklin.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. His mum was staring down at him with an amused expression on her face. "You do realise that I was the outcast at the mother's group for an entire month because of your little stunt," she pointed out. "All those parents had to think fast and deal with their children's questions. Still, it was my fault. I was far too busy trying to remember all the toys that you were asking for. I didn't even notice your hand reaching for his beard."
"I got in so much trouble for that!" he protested, pouting. "I didn't even get dessert that night."
"Just be grateful that missing dessert was all you got! Your father wanted to take away your Nintendo. Although, I think that was more to do with the fact that he wanted to play it than an actual punishment," his mother replied.
He frowned at the mention of his father. His dad had only been gone for a little over a year, but it felt like a lifetime with the way their lives had changed. His eyes glanced down at his 7-year-old self and sighed. The child in the photo had been surrounded by a community where hearing and speech impairments were the norm. He had been a kid whose parents were together and deeply in love. That child had no idea of the way in which his life would change in only a few years.
He still remembered the day when his mum had told him and Emily that their father was leaving. Tears had streamed down her face the entire time. His maternal grandparents had visited that evening. His grandfather had wasted no time in telling his mother that she would need to find another man. He had claimed that Jack being Deaf meant that he could never truly step up to be the man of the house. He recalled that his mum's expression had changed from sadness to anger and she had grabbed the half-empty coffee cup from his grandfather and had ordered him to leave.
He had stood there in shock. He had realised that his grandfather had said something to upset his mother, but had no idea what had been said. His grandfather had failed to sign. Instead, he'd had to rely on his sister, who had been sitting beside their mother to tell him what had been said.
He had fled to his room in anger and had flung himself on his bed. His mum had come to him shortly afterwards and had turned him to face her before she had pulled him into a tight hug. She had then released him and had reassured him that he would always be capable of achieving anything that he put his mind to.
From that day onwards, he had striven to prove his grandfather wrong. He had known that his life would always be slightly different. He couldn't hear and his home would always require modifications to help him. However, he still believed that he was capable of doing great things.
As a result, he had thrown himself into his studies and had continued to achieve good grades. He had the ambition to make it into university and to work his way towards a good job. He had also decided to step up around the house and had relied on his uncle to teach him simple household maintenance chores.
He felt a poke on his shoulder and looked up to find his mum smiling at him. "You got caught up in your own little word for a minute," she signed. "Is everything okay?"
He nodded and flashed her a smile "Yeah, it's fine. Just memories, Mum," he replied.
"Alright, well it's time to get going. We still need to do a grocery shop before we pick Elsa up," his mum said.
Elsa reached into her overnight bag as she double-checked that she had everything packed for the night.
She had not long approached her parents about visiting Jack's house when his mother had called. Unbeknownst to her, Jack had intended for her to spend the night so that they could properly enjoy their movie marathon. Mrs Frost had decided to speak with her parents so that she could make her first introduction to them.
After a bit of persuasion and the firm promise that Jack's mother would be home all weekend, her parents had agreed to her spending the night. Although, her father had insisted that she showed him the pyjamas that she had planned to wear. He had caught sight of her normal spaghetti strap singlet top and had insisted that she packed an old crew neck t-shirt.
"Elsa, your 'not-boyfriend' is here," Anna sang, poking her head into her room as a wide grin danced on her face. "It's time for your sleepover at Ja-ack's."
She turned around and glared at her. Picking up the plush toy that sat on her bed, she flung it towards her sister and let out a laugh as it hit her on the shoulder. Groaning, she turned back to her bag and threw in her pad paper and a few pens before zipping it closed.
"He's not my boyfriend," she protested as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "We are friends, Anna. That is all, friends."
"No, but you are spending the night at his house and you do like him. I know that you like him," Anna teased, stepping out the way so that Elsa could brush past her.
Shaking her head, she made her way down the stairs. She smiled bashfully as she caught sight of Jack with his mum and sister. Her parents and Mrs Frost were deep in conversation.
"Elsa, guess what! Mum is making us spaghetti bolognaise for dinner!" Emily shrieked. "Also, we went to the supermarket and we got all sorts of yummy foods and soda for tonight."
Smiling, she looked over at Jack. She watched as he pulled out his phone and typed a message down. Leaning over, he showed the phone to her. 'She's a bit excited. Word of the wise- don't let her have too much candy or soda, or she will get hyper.'
Laughing, she took the phone from him and typed her reply. 'Anna is exactly the same. You think she's hyper now? You should see her after she has had sugar.'
Mrs Frost cleared her throat and reached over to tap Jack on the shoulder. "We better get going. I've got groceries in the car and don't want them going off," she explained.
She nodded. Turning around, she gave her parents a quick hug before bending down to grab her pillow. Shyly, she followed Jack, his mother and sister out to their car. She watched as Mrs Frost climbed behind the wheel of the car with Emily scooting into the back seat. Pausing, she turned to face Jack as she wondered where she should sit in order to chat with him.
As if sensing her uncertainty, Mrs Frost spoke out. "Take the front seat, dear. Jack can sit in the back. He can use his voice to talk and Emily will sign to him so that he knows what you and I say."
Nodding, she took her bag off and slid into the front passenger seat while Jack took the spot directly behind her in the back. Glancing out the window, she raised her hand to wave at her parents while Mrs Frost put the car into reverse. Her eyes fell on Anna, who was standing with her hand on hip and a wide smirk on her face as she waved them off. Rolling her eyes, she poked her tongue out at her sister before turning to face Mrs Frost.
"Forgive me for asking," she spoke, turning around in her seat to check that Emily was signing for Jack. "I was just wondering how you normally speak to Jack in the car? I'm sorry if that was an inappropriate question."
Biting her lip, she turned to look back at Jack. His eyes were focused on Emily as she signed. Once she had finished, he glanced up and caught her gaze before giving her a thumbs up.
"No, that is perfectly fine and I'm glad you ask," Mrs Frost began. "Normally, if I need to talk to Jack, I will use the steering wheel and finger spell. Jack will often use his voice to speak to me. Sometimes, depending on traffic, I will just poke him and he can turn to watch Emily translate for me. The only rule we have in our house is that whenever Jack is in the room, he must be included. That means that we either sign or write down whatever is being said. After all, if he had his hearing, he would be able to hear it. Him being Deaf is no reason for exclusion."
Turning around, she faced Jack and saw that he was locked in a heated conversation with his sister. Their hands were moving at a rapid pace and he was pulling faces at her. Looking up, he met her gaze and smiled at her. She couldn't help noticing the faint blush that had appeared on his face.
"Sorry, Elsa. Jack was just saying how be-" Emily began, her eyes lighting up before Jack clamped his hand over her mouth.
Chuckling, she turned her attention to the front of the car and watched as Mrs Frost pulled up the driveway of a modest single-story home before she cut the engine.
Jack watched as Elsa stepped out of the car. Her eyes glanced at his home before she turned to face him. He flashed a smile at her. "Welcome to my home," he spoke.
He watched as Elsa turned to smile at him. Nodding her head, she let him know that she had heard him. Leaning in the car, he pulled out her overnight bag and pillow before he headed to the back of the car. He grabbed a bag of groceries and carted them towards the front door.
He flashed Elsa a shy smile as she followed him, clutching two bags of groceries in her hands. He stood awkwardly on the front porch while his mum fumbled with the house keys.
Once the door was open, he grabbed Elsa's bag and pillow and led her inside. He gestured towards the lounge room where the air mattresses had already been set up for their movie marathon. Placing her bag and pillow down, he returned outside to help his mum, sister and Elsa bring in the groceries.
He set the groceries on the counter and moved to grab the iPad. Switching the device on, he tapped open the notepad application and handed it to Elsa. "Saves writing," he explained. "If you don't mind hearing my voice then I can speak and you can type."
Elsa shook her head. Bending down, she typed on the iPad. Her long platinum-blonde hair obstructed her face while she responded to her message. 'I don't mind,' she replied. 'It's nice to hear your voice.'
He blushed. Reaching his hand up, he scratched at the back of his neck. "Come on, I will show you around," he spoke, gesturing to the rest of his home.
He watched as Elsa tucked the iPad under her arm. Shyly, he led her around his small home. He couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed at the size of his new home compared to her own house. The single-story home that they had moved into after his father had left was considerably smaller than his previous house. However, if Elsa was surprised at the size of his home, she didn't show it. Instead, she smiled bashfully and followed him as he pointed out the toilet, bathroom and laundry before leading her towards his bedroom.
Biting his lips, he pushed open the door and showed her his bedroom. He watched as her eyes lit up as she took in the sight of his double bed, bedside table, desk, wardrobe and his small TV with an old games console attached to it. Resting the ipad on her knee, she typed out a message.
"You like video games as well?' she wrote, smiling as she showed him screen.
He nodded. "I love them. Do you play?" he asked.
Elsa nodded. Bending her head down, she typed a response. 'I do. I love car racing games and the Grand Theft Auto series.'
He grinned. Gripping her hand, he tugged her towards his console and pulled out his collection of games. "I'll challenge you to a race later," he spoke. "Although, I have to warn you, I'm pretty good."
A flash of brown hair brushed past him. Stepping back, he grinned as his sister dived onto his bed. Standing to her feet, she proceeded to bounce around in a hive of energy. Reaching over, he put his hand on Emily's shoulders to settle her.
"Don't bounce on my bed," he chided, wagging his finger. "Or else, I will bounce on your bed and break it."
Poking her tongue out, Emily raised her head to look at him. "Mum said to tell you that if you are going to have Elsa in your room, you have to keep the door open," she signed and spoke so that Elsa could hear. "She doesn't trust you to not do any gross stuff like kissing."
He felt his cheeks heating up. Coughing, he turned his head and noticed that Elsa's face had also turned a deep shade of red as she bowed her head. Smirking, he picked his sister up and threw her over her shoulders. Once she was settled, he carried her into her own room and placed her down on her own bed.
"Stay," he ordered, wagging his finger at her.
Turning on his heels, he gestured for Elsa to follow him. He lead her towards the back door and into their small, but neat backyard which housed his and Emily's bike and an aging swing set. He watched as a frown crossed Elsa's face. Bending down, she typed a message on the iPad.
'I hope that it's okay to ask, but how do you know if someone is at the door?' she asked.
Smiling, he beckoned for her to come with him to the front door. Opening the door, he pointed out the small sign that was placed under the bell- alerting callers to the fact that a Deaf person resides in the house.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face his mum. "I'll help," she signed, smiling at him.
He watched as his mum stepped outside. A few seconds later, she pressed the doorbell. He turned Elsa to show her how the receiver, which was currently resting on the mount on the wall, flashed a bright light for a series of repetitions while a chime sounded for the hearing people in the house.
"I can move the receiver if I'm home alone, or if we are in the backyard. Most times Mum and Emily hear it and will let me know. I we are in the same room then the receiver is in there with all of us," he said.
He watched as Elsa nodded before flashing a shy smile at him and his mum.
"Jack, show Elsa the rest of the modifications," his mum signed, speaking the words for Elsa's benefit.
He frowned and turned to face his mum. "What if she laughs at them, or at me?" he signed.
His mum glanced at him and pulled him aside. "Jackson," she signed. "She won't laugh. I can tell. She is a nice girl. She is curious to learn more because you are her friend. You are already trusting her to hear your spoken voice, so I say that you give her the chance to learn more."
Nodding, he turned back to face Elsa. He noted that she was biting her lip while she watched him and his mum signing back and forth.
"Come," he said, beckoning to her. "I'll show you a few more things."
Elsa felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face to face with Mrs Frost.
"I'm sorry about before," she whispered. "You have to understand that things have been tough for Jack. He's not had it easy at his new school, but he refuses to tell me anything. He's a bit shy to show you the modifications. He's worried that you will laugh."
Frowning, she cast a look at Jack, who was locked in conversation with his sister. Shifting her attention back to his mum, she shook her head. "No, I could never laugh at him. I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask. It's just, he's my friend and I want to know more and to understand. I care about him," she whispered.
Mrs Frost smiled and lightly squeezed her shoulder. "I know, dear. It's good that you are asking- it shows that you care enough to take an interest," she said. "He feels comfortable with you. I can tell. If he didn't then he would not be so willing to actually speak around you."
Blushing, she turned her head to face Jack. She felt a smile gracing her face as he playfully shoved his sister.
As if on cue, he stopped what he was doing and moved to join her at her side. "Mum," he whined. "I can't show Elsa anything if you and Emily continue to interrupt us."
She chuckled. She watched as Mrs Frost turned to face Jack with a look of mock hurt. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted," she said. "Come on, Emily, you can help me prepare for dinner."
She stepped to the side as Emily skipped past, leaving her and Jack alone in the hallway.
"Come back to my room," Jack spoke, turning on his heels and walking towards his room.
Making her way into Jack's room, she found him holding up an ordinary looking alarm clock.
"Alarm," he said. "Looks pretty normal, but it's not."
She nodded. She watched as Jack lifted the mattress and pulled out a round device which was connected via a thin cord to the alarm clock.
"Vibrating pad," he explained. "The alarm goes off and it shakes my bed. Here, you try."
Blinking, she looked at him. She watched as he put the small pad back under the mattress before turning to fumble with the alarm. Stepping aside, he looked at her and gestured to the bed. "Lie down," he ordered.
Nodding, she placed the iPad on the desk before tentatively lying on his bed. She waited as Jack turned his attention to the alarm. He took a step back and fixed his blue eyes on her. Moments later, a loud sound could be heard as the alarm rang. Instantly, she felt the bed shaking as the pad vibrated from under the mattress. Her eyes widened and she sat upright before hopping off the bed to stand beside Jack.
"Fun, huh?" he said, grinning. "On school days I place the pad under my pillow just to be sure that I don't sleep through it."
Grinning, she reached over to grab the iPad. 'That was kind of fun,' she replied.
He placed his hand on her forearm. Blinking, she followed his gaze as he pointed to a smoke alarm with a strobe light positioned above his bed. "Fire alarm," he pointed out. "It makes a sound which Mum and Emily hear. It has a really, really bright light that flashes for me. We have these located in the kitchen, hallway, lounge and my bedroom."
She watched as he reached under his pillow to pull out yet another pad. "Vibrating smoke alarm," he explained and pointed to a receiver that resembled a modem. "This one was really expensive, but Mum is paranoid. She says that we can't rely entirely on the flashing lights. If the alarm goes off it will shake the pillow."
She nodded. She found herself saying a silent prayer that the fire alarms would never have to be put to use. The thought of a fire breaking out was scary at the best of times. She couldn't begin to imagine the worry that Mrs Frost must have knowing that one of her children couldn't hear the alarm.
She felt Jack gently grip the iPad as he took it from her. 'Are you okay?' he asked.
Taking the iPad, she leaned down to type her reply.'I am. I'm just hoping that you never ever have to use the fire alarms.' she replied. 'Hey, why did you stop talking just then?'
Jack grinned. She watched as his mouth curled into his familiar lopsided smirk. "We can't have you getting too used to my voice," he teased. "I need to keep some sort of allure. You know, so that you continue to think I am cute."
Groaning, she stood in front of Jack and rolled her eyes. She took the iPad from him and bent down to type her reply. I never said that you were cute. That was you and Anna ganging up on me and putting words in my mouth,' she pointed out.
She watched as Jack leaned back to place a hand over his heart in an overly dramatic display of mock hurt. Leaning over, she pried the iPad from his hand.
'How do you make phone calls?' she asked, handing him the iPad.
Jack grinned. "Follow me," he spoke, leading her out of the bedroom.
She followed him out of the room. "For family and friends, I mostly use Skype. I like Skype because I can type or sign on it. I also use text messaging a lot," he explained as he led her into the kitchen. "If I need to call then I can use a video relay service."
She paused. Tilting her head, she watched as he led her towards a PC in the kitchen with a web camera. "I use this computer. We have a connection with a company. I boot up the computer and select the button to drag up the voice relay service," he began.
She glanced at the computer where he had loaded up an application with a small screen, number pad and a call pad. She turned to watch as he explained how he was able to type in a number to call. While he was doing that an interpreter would appear on screen for him to sign to. The interpreter would then relay what he was saying to the person on the phone and vice versa.
"I hardly use the voice relay service, but it comes in handy if I have to ring a business," he explained. "We also have a text phone."
She followed his gaze to find a landline phone with a series of small L.E.D lights down the bottom and a screen attached just above the console.
"I hardly use that," Jack said, pointing at the phone. "It works like a normal phone, but by pressing a button it connects to a text to talk operator who then converts what the person on the other side is saying into text so that I can read."
"That phone is mostly for mine and Emily's use," his mum explained, coming to join the conversation. "We just like to ensure that Jack can use it if he chooses to."
Jack sat with his eyes wide, watching as his mum and Elsa engaged in a heated conversation. Carefully, he loaded the last of his mum's homemade spaghetti bolognaise into his mouth and watched as his mum signed the conversation to him.
Beside him, Elsa scribbled on a piece of paper as she wrote down everything that she was saying so that he could keep up.
"I want to read," Emily cried, pouting as she turned to stare at the note.
He shook his head and pulled the paper away from his sister's prying eyes. "You can hear what Elsa is saying," he pointed out. "Plus you can hear what mum is saying as well as read sign language. Don't be nosy."
Emily turned to look at him, her pout making way for a cheeky expression as she glanced between him and Elsa. "Have you told Elsa that she's your girlfriend yet?" she signed. "Have you kissed her on the lips yet?"
He felt the familiar rush of heat to his cheeks. Shaking his head, he glared at his sister. "She's just a friend, Em," he signed.
He felt a soft kick to his ankle. Turning his head, he faced his mum. "I apologise, Elsa," she began. "My children normally obey the rules to make sure that everyone is included in the conversation. However, it seems that my youngest is determined to embarrass her brother about the status of your friendship."
He groaned. Pushing his empty plate out the way, he buried his head in his arms. He turned his head and noticed the faint traces of a blush creeping over Elsa's pale cheeks as she scribbled down a note.
"My sister is exactly the same," she replied, passing the note to him. "It's part of being the youngest I think."
Raising his head, he nodded at her.
"You know, Elsa. If you would like, we can teach you some sign language," his mum offered, signing as she spoke.
His eyes widened. Turning to face Elsa, he awaited her reply. 'You would do that?' she asked, flicking her eyes between his mum and him.
He nodded enthusiastically. "Mum and I can teach you. That is, if you would like," he said, blushing slightly.
"That's right, dear. I've got all the books that I used to learn and to teach Emily," his mum said. "We could make a start tomorrow morning before I drop you home. Though, it all depends on what time you two wake up."
He turned to face Elsa and noticed the way she bit her lip. She nodded and pushed her empty plate to her side. A small smile crept over her face as she bent down to write a note.
'I'd love to learn to sign,' she replied.
Grinning, he pushed his chair back and cleared the empty plates from the kitchen table. He placed them in the sink and filled it with hot water and detergent before leaving them to soak. Turning around, he watched as his mum and Elsa shifted their chairs to face him before continuing with their conversation.
He made his way to the fridge and pulled out two cans of soft drink before beckoning for Elsa to follow him. He watched as she excused herself and stood to her feet. He led her into the lounge room. Placing the cans on the coffee table, he pulled open the cupboard to show Elsa their collection of DVDs and invited her to select one to watch.
Elsa settled on the couch and pulled the the blanket over her lap. She could feel herself blushing as Jack turned to face her and took in her pyjamas with her Team Norway hockey t-shirt.
It had been Jack's suggestion that they change into their pyjamas before they slipped the movie on. She had agreed and had ducked into the bathroom while he had raced into his room and had changed into his Batman pyjama pants and t-shirt. They had then met back in the lounge room and had slipped the DVD into the player.
Despite the wide range of DVDs to choose from, the two of them had settled on having a Harry Potter marathon. Although, she had teased Jack with watching his sister's Barbie movie. She had claimed that as a guest, she had the power to make the choice.
She watched as Jack stepped over to flick on the lamp and settled on the other side of the couch. The newly charged iPad balanced on the coffee table alongside the bowl of potato chips and soft drink cans. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jack fumbling with the remote as he set the subtitles up on the screen.
Jack had been quick to point out to her that he relied on subtitles or closed captioning when watching TV and movies. He'd explained that unless it was a movie that he was familiar with, the best way to speak with him was to pause the movie and pass the iPad over to him and give him the time to respond so that he didn't miss out on any important dialogue.
She let out a soft gasp. The sudden feeling of a cold can pressed against her cheek startled her. Turning around, she caught Jack with a wry grin on his face. Frowning, she climbed off the couch and headed into the kitchen. Pulling open the freezer, she found the ice tray and tipped a few cubes into her hand.
Holding her hands behind her back, she made her way into the lounge room and smiled sweetly at Jack. His eyes remained fixed on her as he watched her every move. Smirking, she moved to stand behind him. Reaching down, she pulled at the back of his shirt and dropped the cubes down his back.
"You play dirty!" he hissed, jumping as the ice came in contact with his back.
Smirking, she grabbed the iPad and clicked on the notepad application. 'You started it. I just finished it,' she quipped, giggling.
Jack blinked. Raising his head, he stretched out his arms. His eyes glanced at the clock and he noticed that it was 11am. He glanced at the TV and noticed that it had been turned off.
The last thing he remembered was placing the sixth Harry Potter movie and hitting play. Elsa had fallen asleep during the fifth movie. He had turned down the volume on the TV before pulling out another blanket and placing it over her small frame.
Looking over, he noticed that the mattress Elsa had been lying on was empty and the blankets had been neatly stacked at the end of the couch. He pushed himself off the mattress and made his way into the kitchen.
His eyes fell on Elsa, who had dressed for the day and was sitting at the table with his mum. Both of their heads were bent over a beginners sign language book.
"Starting without me?" he spoke, watching as they turned in their seats to face him.
"Good morning," Elsa signed, blushing as she looked at him.
He grinned. "Good morning," he replied, signing and speaking. "You did that perfectly. Good start."
He watched as a wide smile appeared on Elsa's face and she bent down to type on the iPad. Shaking his head, he pulled out a bowl from the cupboard and grabbed the cereal from the pantry. With his breakfast sorted, he made his way to sit at the table and watched as Elsa placed the iPad in front of him.
'Your mum is lending me the books. I am going to make some print outs when I get home so that I can keep it with me and practise. That is, if you have enough patience to put up with me,'
He nodded. "Of course, I can put up with you. You are my friend," he replied.
Elsa sighed as she pulled the covers over her body.
Jack's mum had dropped her home not long after lunch which had allowed her to spend the remainder of the day with her family. She had spent most of the afternoon reading through the books on ASL which Mrs Frost had kindly lent her and had marked the pages with the diagrams for finger spelling and commonly used signs before she had scanned them onto her computer.
To her delight, her father had come in and enquired about what she was doing. When she had explained that she was learning sign to help her communicate with Jack, he had nodded and had glanced at the book before he had left the room.
He had returned a short time later and had told her that he'd discussed it with her mother and had decided to purchase a copy of the book. He had explained that the book was not too expensive and that he was happy to order it, so long as she was serious about learning to sign.
She had leapt to her feet and had hugged him. She had then proceeded to log onto her Facebook to send a quick message to Jack and had asked for permission to borrow the book until her own copy arrived.
Closing her eyes, she couldn't help thinking back of the weekend. She felt like it marked the beginning of something positive. Not only was she certain that her and Jack were friends, but she felt excited about the prospect of learning to sign. She couldn't help feeling grateful for the kindness that the entire Frost family had shown to her and their willingness to help her learn.
Life in the USA was slowly starting to feel a little less lonely now that she had a friend.
A/N- Thank you all for your reviews, reading and your support. As I have stated before I am not deaf or hard of hearing. Therefore all that I am writing is a result of my research, and help from some kind people. All efforts are being made to be accurate, and fair.
On a separate note a restaurant has just opened in Yonge Street, downtown Toronto, ON, Canada. The restaurant is called 'Signs' and all wait staff are members of the deaf community. The customers can read the menu and see the signs needed to communicate with the waiters (or worst case scenario I'm guessing that they can just point at the menu item and/ or write a note. The restaurant has a fan page on FB (search Signs Restaurant) . If you are in/ or near Toronto then be sure to check them out/ support them.
I'll list the products which have served as inspiration for the Deaf/ Hard of Hearing products which make up Jack's home.
The Doorbell- I've used the A231 Libra flashing door chime brand.
Jack's alarm clock- I used the Sonic Alert Sonic Boom SB300ss
The smoke alarms- I've used two brands:
BRK SC9120B Smoke/ Carbon Dioxide alarm- this is the one with the LED strobe lights.
Silent Call Shake Up smoke detector with wall mount- this is the expensive one with the pad that is placed under the pillow. I sort of figured that Jack's mum would take no precautions, and would spend that bit more so that *should* a fire break out then Jack can be alerted via the strobe light or the vibrations.
PHONE CALLS/ COMMUNICATION
Admittedly I found this the hardest to research. I found a deaf community forum and it seemed that it's very much a personal preference type situation. That and where a person resides (rural/ semi rural/ suburban) as well as the urgency of the call can all have an impact. In the end I decided Jack would largely use skype and text to keep in contact with friends and family with the voice relay system to contact businesses etc. The Screenphone I imagine is mostly a last resort, but primarily there for his mum and sister's use as they have their hearing.
I've used Sorenson VRS- as the voice relay system which Jack makes use of if he needs to make a call.
The telephone handset I've used is the GEEMARC Screenphone, although from my research it seems that for a lot of people, the TTY method of conversing is being used less and less.