Hearing loss shouldn’t stop you from taking that weekend getaway or fabulous trip you’ve always dreamed about. There are many technological devices and accommodations at hotels and attractions today that take hearing loss into account, letting you fully enjoy every aspect of your travels.
Accessibility at hotels
By law, hotels today provide specific accommodations for guests with hearing loss. Hotels offer various technologies, including closed captioned TV, visual and audio smoke detectors with flashing lights, telephone amplifiers or captioned telephones. Other amenities that might be available upon request include door knock sensors or bed-shaking alarm clocks. All of these devices usually have a backup battery in case your hotel experiences a power outage. Gael Hannan, editor of The Better Hearing Consumer blog and a woman with limited hearing ability, recommends being very specific about what you need when you get to your hotel.
Hannan also recommends having a little fun with your requests: “I advise staff that, in the unlikely event of a night time disaster, they were to please send the strongest fireman to break down my door, snatch me up and carry me to safety.”
For the best access, contact the hotel in advance of your stay to communicate your needs during travel and upon your arrival. If a hotel you stay at does not have services for people with hearing loss, asking them anyway is a good way to advocate for your needs and the needs of other people with hearing loss. You may want to consider making reservations somewhere else that does appreciate your business.
Attractions and tourists sites
Most U.S. tourist sites now offer accommodations that enable people with limited hearing to enjoy the attraction’s sites and sounds thoroughly. Many public places, such as museums, art galleries, and theme parks, offer loop systems that amplify and transmit sounds directly to a visitor’s hearing aid. Many also offer amplified headphones that work directly with a tour guide’s microphone for guided tours. Museums in major metropolitan cities have begun offering text-based devices that allow visitors to read details about each exhibit. These accommodations are usually available upon request at the ticket window. Look for signs that indicate Accessible Accommodations for people with hearing loss.
Transit accommodations
If you are flying remember to check text-based signs on monitors or posted by your gate to be aware of possible changes in flight schedules. When you book your tickets, you can often include your cell phone number to receive text updates if there are any changes in the itinerary. If traveling by train or bus, rely on the visual signage posted on each bus or train to confirm your destination and departure time. You may want to notify flight attendants and bus drivers of your hearing loss so they can better communicate with you, or just in case of an emergency.
Go ahead and plan that lovely vacation you have in mind, knowing you will be able to enjoy the sites – and sounds – along the way.
