We are almost in August and thoughts turn to travel and getting away for a holiday, so below are some of our deaf travel tips and how to manage travel with hearing loss. Unfortunately being deaf is a hidden disability so understanding some of the pitfalls and where you might need to tell others will help.
Before You Travel
Before you go, how are you going to get there?
Do you need accessibility from the travel companies? For example, you can book your tickets in advance online, but if you need assistance or have queries, what can you do?
Do they have an online chat bot that can help you with pre-booking?
Or maybe an open ticket office where you can purchase face to face?
What happens if you need to cancel or change your ticket – do they have online options to do this, without needing a call centre?
Will the information be clearly displayed when you get to the venue?
If in doubt, perhaps they have an app or a website which keeps the information live and up to date? If you have any doubts, try to alleviate them before you set off to reduce your stress on the journey.
Setting Off
If you have to be up super early for travelling, make sure you have alerts, alarms and even people ready to wake you up. I often inform family members so they can try calling me over and over – sometimes this wakes me subconsciously and/or the vibrations wake me up. Being awake and ready to take on the day in good time immediately starts your journey off on a good note and reduces anxiety.
Onboarding
Arriving at a busy station or airport can be overwhelming with noise. Consider switching off your devices if it’s too much. Use the visual cues to get around and don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s often not easy to keep an eye on platforms / gates and times, plus audio service announcements can be useless. My advice here is to memorise your experience with the transport provider to provide feedback, ensuring they understand if / where they fall short. You may be the first person to tell them!
Travelling
If you’re travelling with family, friends or perhaps strangers, remind them of your needs. People often act differently on holiday amid all of the excitement and distractions. Make sure your travelling companions remain mindful of your needs. Enjoy the change of scene and don’t be afraid to remove your devices and go play in the sea! If you’re venturing to tourist attractions, find out if they have a ‘loop’ setting which may assist in understanding a tour guide. Alternatively, inform a tour guide before you begin so that they understand to face you where possible and prompt you if you need to move around.
Don’t forget your Tech!
Make sure you take whatever supplies you might need with you. Spares, extra batteries, extra chargers. Imagine you lose or damage something while you’re away and take what you’d need with you to still be able to happily enjoy your holiday. You’ve earned it, so make sure you will enjoy it! Also, simply carrying around a notepad and pen can be very useful in lots of situations where you won’t necessarily be able to use a mobile device.
We love sharing our holiday tips and favourite places to visit in Deaf Club. While travelling itself can be stressful, hopefully this small selection of our tips will help and ultimately when you get to your destination we hope you have an amazing time! You can also join our hearing loss and deaf community online and discover deaf people from all over the world, each doing their own amazing things and living life to the full – you can join us here: Deaf Club.
