Meet Angel
Regular patrons of Mr. Wash Car Wash in Alexandria, Virginia know that service there comes with a smile, especially if Angel Otto is on site that day. As manager of the facility for several years, Angel strives to ensure that people pulling in for the first time leave satisfied and become repeat customers.
On a typical day, Angel’s responsibilities run the gamut. He does everything from manage staff and scheduling, maintain equipment, order supplies, interact with customers, and reconcile income and receipts at the end of the day. All of these tasks require effective communication on Angel’s part, in both English and Spanish.
Angel takes pride in his communication skills, not only because he is bilingual, but also because he is hearing impaired. He uses hearing aids in both ears and also reads lips, a critical skill in his often-noisy work environment. To accommodate his disability, Angel may ask staff or customers to come closer to or directly face him when speaking. Otherwise, his hearing impairment does not impact him on the job, Angel says.
Angel’s workplace is one of several Mr. Wash Car Wash facilities in the greater Washington, D.C., area, and the company takes pride in being an active neighbor in each operation’s local community. Activities have included supporting local crime prevention and drunk driving deterrence efforts. Angel particularly enjoys this aspect of this job and contributes through coaching children’s soccer at a nearby indoor sportsplex—where he also requires smiles from his team.
- For information about job accommodations for people with hearing loss, see JAN’s A to Z of Disabilities. To see and read about other people with disabilities in their workplaces, return to JAN’s Homepage.