Last weekend, I went for a birthday celebration meal with my parents and godmother. Out of the four of us, three are deaf. We’d gone to an Indian restaurant recommended to me by a neighbour, who said they produced good food, were reasonably priced and reviews I read mentioned friendly staff. So I took them there, with hope that it would be a nice evening out. It was lovely.

The manager, who personally greeted us, and all the other customers, didn’t bat an eye when told we were deaf (let’s face it, my father’s hearing is starting to go a bit as well) and had us escorted to a quiet-ish table by the window. We settled in and picked up our menus. As I squinted at the menu in the typically-dim restaurant light, I realised there seemed to be more light.

I looked up, and saw the ceiling-installed spotlights above our table getting brighter. We then noticed the manager moving away from a small control panel, and I realised that he had, entirely on his own initiative, made the spotlights above our specific table brighter, just for us.

It may seem a like a small gesture, but for someone who is used to dealing with dark, candle-lit tables, confused, mumbling waiters, and keen but clueless servers, it was one of the most impressive, sweet and thoughtful things a restaurant manager has ever done for us. Why can’t they all be like that? From there on in, it was all good. The staff were friendly and attentive, the food was good, and the manager wished me good luck for my forthcoming trip to India.

For a good Indian meal and deaf-aware service, head down to the Raj Mahal, Frenchay, Bristol. Wonderful.