Back in 2008, Mark Burke had a baby daughter on the way. At the same time, he had been getting into making his own beer, learning the skills from a friend who was a home brewer. From the fermenting excitement of the times came the bubbles of an idea – why not create a unique beer to announce his daughter’s birth? The celebratory beer was a huge hit, and a hint of what was to come.

Today, his daughter is now a teenager, and his home brew hobby has turned into a successful brewery in Hyattsville, Maryland – Streetcar 82 Brewery. Mark runs Streetcar 82 with his friends, Sam Costner and Jon Cetrano, along with a team of skilled brewers and beertenders.

Streetcar 82 serves fantastic craft beer, but it’s more than just a local brewery. It’s a reflection of the community of Hyattsville – a diverse neighborhood with a rich history, and it’s a place where people can get together and feel welcomed. As Mark says, beer brings people together. 

I sat down one Monday morning to talk to Mark about what accessibility means from his perspective as an owner of a small business. It was a brewing day over at Streetcar 82, and in the background of the Zoom call, the production facility was alive with the brewers tending to the massive steel brewhouse system.

Michelle: So what does accessibility mean to you? 

Mark: Accessibility is simply about the basic requirements for a business to open.  

Obviously I had to meet the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) requirements, but I wanted to go beyond that to make people feel welcome here at the brewery. 

Accessibility is a mindset, and it’s this mindset that enables you to accommodate everyone who walks into your business. By mindset, I mean by setting the space and expectations so that everyone feels as if they’re on equal footing. That is beyond accommodation. It’s important to recognize the different kinds of diversity and each requires its own way of thinking about access. 

Michelle: What drives your passion for accessibility?

Mark: We’re a fully deaf owned business, and all of our employees are deaf as well. In a way, we’re flipping the script of what inclusivity really means by creating an environment that is adapted to us and where customers have to accommodate us. We’re providing hearing customers with opportunities to communicate with us in different ways, gesturing, pointing, writing, and even signing. A lot of our customers have been really enthusiastic about learning to communicate with us and have learnt how to order beers in ASL. Essentially, we’re building awareness of what it’s like to go out into the world as deaf people. 

We’re not just a deaf brewery – we’re a brewery for all people. We’ve offered ASL classes, and they’ve been very popular, but if we put ASL everywhere, we’d really be identified as a deaf brewery, and that feels like an inauthentic gimmick. We want to be a brewery for the entire community. And as a brewery for the community, we attract different parts of the community, people from different backgrounds, people who use wheelchairs and we’ve collaborated with the DeafBlind community to host DeafBlind happy hours with modified print tap list, support service providers, and ProTactile interpreters. 

Michelle: It reminds me of something a colleague at a former workplace said to me. If everyone used a wheelchair, workplaces wouldn’t need to pay for chairs, and non wheelchair-using people would have to make a special request to get a desk chair. 

As a business owner with a disability, what are your non-negotiables when it comes to creating an accessible business?

Mark: I had a whole list of things that I’ve written down in response to this question, but it all boils down to flexibility. This is a place of business. If you come in here you have to work with us. It’s as simple as that. People have to be flexible. That’s my non-negotiable. 

We’ve actually never had a problem with that. Everyone has been very willing to be flexible. When we first started out opening up the brewery, I got in touch with various vendors, and I didn’t tell them I was deaf, I just introduced myself and communicated via email. It wasn’t until we finally met in person when they realized I was deaf. We’d already gotten this far and they weren’t going to drop out now when we’d already established the relationship. They’ll say that they’ll give me a call, and that’s when I tell them that the call would go through the video relay service, but usually I’d prefer to text, and people are good with that. 

Michelle: What do you think are your next steps for growing the business?

Mark: People ask me this a lot, but I don’t want to go bigger and lose the atmosphere that we have going on here. Right now, we have a really cool patio and a great community feel. If anything, we might consider expanding the production capacity. 

Michelle: Can you think of a moment that’s made you feel like it’s all been worth the effort?

Mark: I can think of so many examples! This has been the most rewarding job ever. Our beers have been really successful, and I get to sell the beers that I make! Even taxes are a good thing. Somehow, paying taxes from the beer sales makes it feel real.  

Being able to create new beers and be innovative with the brewing process is great. It feels really good when customers really like the beer. I check the reviews on Google, Yelp and Untappd and the reviews have been very inspiring. 

Michelle: What’s one piece of advice you would like to give to businesses that want to become accessible? 

Mark: I would tell them to hire deaf and disabled people. People with disabilities can work just as hard as everyone else, but they just need the opportunity. All of our staff are deaf. I’m proud to provide other deaf people opportunities to work in the brewing industry, and I suspect we’re having a broader influence on the industry. I’m seeing other breweries in the area starting to hire deaf people too. One of our part time brewers was hired at another brewery nearby as a cellar man (the entry level position, like a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen), and due to the skills and knowledge he acquired here, he was able to prove his craft beer skills and get promoted as a brewer. 

If businesses ever get stuck, they can always tap into the community around them and ask the question, “How can we better serve you?” Don’t be afraid to ask what is needed to make their experience more pleasant. 

Running Streetcar 82 is really fun! Beer brings people together, and we’re able to provide a safe place for people to bond over drinks. We’re accessible because we’re focused on creating an environment where people feel welcome. With that being said, we’re not perfect, we still need to make modifications, and have some gaps. 

Michelle: If you’re ever in the Metro DC area, make sure to stop by Streetcar 82 for a pint!

Special thanks to Roberto Santiago for his interpretation services during this interview, and to Jon Cetrano for his contribution to the conversation.

Takeaway box:

Do you run a restaurant or small business? What can you take away from this interview?

• Accessibility is more than just meeting the requirements of the law. Accessibility is a mindset where you commit to creating a welcoming environment and being flexible.
• Hire people with disabilities to be on your staff.
• Not sure how to become accessible? Ask the community around you about how you can better serve them!

Featured venue: Streetcar 82 Brewing Co.

Address: 4824 Rhode Island Ave, Hyattsville, MD 20781

Opening Hours: Streetcar 82 is open in the afternoon and evenings from Tuesdays to Sundays, and closed on Mondays. For more exact hours, you can refer to their website. 

Getting There: There is a parking lot right next to the venue.

Physical Access: There is a very small concrete slope up to the front door which will need to be pushed open. The patio seating is at the front and includes plenty of space between tables for moving about.

There is a mix of bar height tables with bar stools and standard height tables. The standard height tables that are indoors have fixed bench seats, but the standard height tables on the patio have movable bench seats and chairs.

There are two toilets, both wheelchair/ADA accessible. 

Information Access: There is a tap list at the bar with colorful pictures to help you see the difference between the different beers. The staff are totally cool with you ordering by pointing at the menu if that is what you prefer. 

All staff members are able to communicate using ASL. 

The tap list is available on their website but it is not screen readable. People who use screen readers may be able to read about their beers through their online store instead. There is a menu available for people who are deaf blind.   

Sensory Access: There is outdoor seating as well as indoor seating during non-pandemic times. The outdoor seating is next to a major road with partial shade cover. If you prefer a less crowded environment, you may find it easier to visit on Fridays during the early afternoon or during the opening hour. (After all, any hour can be a happy hour!)