Nene Takes the Cake
Submitted photos
Tanisha Vernon-Vergara, who goes by Nene, is a deaf cake decorator and baking enthusiast who was recently hired by Ruston Groceries. She says the local grocery store has been the perfect fit for deaf-accessible employment, and the store’s leadership says she’s doing a great job.
Tanisha Vernon-Vergara, known as Nene, has always dreamed of owning a bakery one day.
As a deaf woman, it’s been difficult at times for Nene to find employers who will not only hire her but accommodate her communication needs so she can acclimate to the job.
Two years after moving to Ruston, Nene has found her perfect fit in the bakery of Ruston Groceries.
“I was so thrilled to have the job,” Nene said. “I wanted to get back in the action. Baking is my passion, and I always dreamed of owning a bakery business one day after I relearn my talent.”
Nene said she hasn’t had a job that allowed her to exercise that talent since the year 2000 in Baton Rouge.
“She thought I wouldn’t give her a chance,” Ruston Groceries owner Laddie Aulakh said. “And I thought, ‘Why would you say that? You deserve a chance.’ And she’s been great.”
Nene’s husband Josh Vergara is also deaf. He said finding jobs in a small town is difficult for both of them. He said many businesses struggle to or are unwilling to overcome communication barriers.
“Time is the most critical part to being deaf-friendly,” he said. “To have the patience to do one-on-one with a deaf employee by using writing on paper, basic hand gestures, or using apps on their phone or tablet to communicate.
“All we want is for people to have the time, motivation, patience and a smiling face, to give us the time to communicate with them. That’s all we simply ask for.”
Nene said her husband met with Ruston Groceries personnel on how to work with deaf people in the workplace.
“After they learned how to work with me over the first week of hire, they trusted me to do the tasks on my own without dealing with any issues,” she said.
She said the written checklist of duties her supervisors leave for her at the beginning of her shift go a long way toward a deaf-friendly experience.
But more than that, the welcoming work environment has made her feel right at home.
“Every time I get in the store to start work, they always wave at me and smile,” Nene said. “It makes my day to start smiling and knowing that my day is going to be great with no hitch.”
Aulakh sees a parallel between hiring Nene and how he hopes the Ruston community will respond to his relatively new store.
“Give chances to people, that’s how I think,” he said. “If you don’t give a chance to a person, you never learn. Just like the grocery store: give it a chance and see what you think about it.
“We’re here for the local people. We’re great for local jobs, just like Nene. Shop local and give us a chance.”
Vergara and Ruston Groceries have shared Nene’s story on social media, and it has spread rapidly in the community.
“We are totally speechless and overwhelmed with so much love and supporters out there,” he said. “This is exactly why we wanted to stay in (Ruston). We wanted to thank everyone in the city and surrounding area for their tremendous support.”
Nene and Vergara hope her story inspires others to continue tearing down accessibility barriers. They encourage hearing people to learn some American Sign Language and say hello to Nene at the store.
“We do hope they can share this (story) and that others will follow the lead,” Vergara said. “That is what we wanted, to fight for our rights and help other deaf people to get jobs with no problem. We won’t give up.”
