Colorado tattoo shop making tattoos more accessible for deaf, hard of hearing, LGBTQ+ community
Getting a tattoo is a time to open up and be comfortable with the person on the other side of the needle, but not all communities necessarily feel welcome, when sitting in the chair. That's where Disruptive Ink is looking to make a change.
Disruptive Ink, located in Lakewood, is a local female LGBTQ+-owned tattoo shop and they're offering a welcoming space for everyone. Many of their clients are in the gay or trans community. Plus, they also support the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
"There are so many communities out there that have had unfortunate experiences in different businesses or other tattoo shops," said Sandra Lin.
Sandra is the owner and head tattoo artist at Disruptive Ink. She opened an inviting and inclusive tattoo shop during the pandemic.
"If you are part of the gay or the LGBTQ+ community, the trans community, you do fear having that kind of discrimination," said Sandra. "But here, you don't experience that."
The shop is also accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, like Katie for example. She shared more about her first tattoo at a different shop.
"It was not enjoyable. I didn't really feel like I got a traditional experience," said Katie.
Mateo is the American sign language interpreter on site, ensuring Katie has a comfortable tattoo experience with artists like Sandra. With the help of Mateo using sign language, Katie can have a full conversation with Sandra as she's getting her tattoo.
"Based on what they know in terms of the community, based on what they've seen me go through, what they've seen others go through, they knew, they wanted to make sure access was there from day one," said Katie.
Inside the shop, mirrors are also placed in certain areas where anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing, can see other people in the mirror, or also see what's happening around them.
So, whether it's being able to share their opinion about a tattoo or just enjoy banter during a session, Sandra wants everyone to have the same opportunity and get the full experience when getting a tattoo.
"You're just like listening to the funny stories that go on between the clients and the artist, and the deaf community doesn't have access to that, but here, we do," said Sandra.
Sandra has also noticed one thing about her clients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
"They go to the mirror, and they take a minute and they really soak in the tattoo," said Sandra. "They're making sure that everything is right."
"It's because we're so visual. We catch things that most people wouldn't," said Katie. "The first thing that catches my eye, is the little black spots, the small detail, and most people would overlook that."
Sandra also said it can be hard to be a female tattoo artist in a male-dominated field. All of the six artists at her shop are also female, and she prides her shop in being welcome for female tattoo artists as well.
"I just want people to have a great time when they get a tattoo and have no stress and honestly leave happier when they came in," said Sandra.