Travelling with a hearing impairment

I recently caught up with one of my work colleagues who has a hearing imparement to get her perspective on travelling and how it can be made more inclusive. I asked her 4 questions

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your condition.

I was born with a hearing impairment mainly due to genetic factors – my parents both had hearing loss. It is something I have learned to live with and have made adaptations to my life to try and reduce the impact. I currently have around 80% hearing loss so I wear two hearing aids to help me cope on a daily basis. It is a degenerative condition, it worsens gradually over time and I will eventually go completely deaf.

2. How does this affect you specifically when travelling and visiting holiday accommodations

There are a number of ways my hearing loss impacts on my ability to travel. If travelling by train for example, I am unable to hear the station announcements so I have to keep watching the departure boards for details and if there is a last minute change of platform I may not see or hear about it. On-train announcements are difficult too; the volume is usually fine but the clarity is generally awful and I either cannot understand what is being said, or I misunderstand and end up with the wrong information.

Travelling by plane is equally difficult for many of the same reasons; airports (and train stations) are busy, noisy environments and this makes it difficult to understand when people are talking to you, including when making a booking or when going through security or passport control.

At the hotel, especially if in a foreign country, I might struggle to hear information when checking in, for example directions to my room or confirmation of meal times; while these seem like minor things, it is very stressful if you don’t know what you are doing. Trying to explain that I may not hear someone knock on my door or hear the smoke alarms in an emergency can be difficult enough if you speak the language but almost impossible in an unfamiliar language. Hotels will usually provide me with these things in writing if I request them in advance, but again when travelling in a country where English is not the first language, it can be difficult to explain this request and I often find the information is not there when I arrive.

3. Are there any particular destinations/ hotels/ restaurants etc that you would particularly recommend for someone who is hearing impaired or places you would recommend avoiding

Personally I find it easier travelling to destinations where they speak the same language as me, simply because it is less stressful for me when I’m trying to explain my needs and limitations. Even though English is widely spoken across the world, it causes additional stress if I know I will need to try and make myself understood both in language and in support needs. I always – always – travel with a hearing companion. I don’t have the confidence to travel alone because of my hearing loss.

I always go to restaurants that have a quieter ambience, or I endeavour to eat at quieter times, eg really early or really late, so I can avoid a noisy, busy environment. I would avoid busy city centre venues where crowds will gather, I use only boutique hotels which are smaller and quieter, and I only visit big attractions during off-peak, off-season times

for the same reason. For example, many of Glasgow’s museums and art galleries are almost empty during a weekday when schools are in session, but unbearable loud and busy at the weekend.

It is my experience that restaurants within hotels are quieter than ‘normal’ restaurants, and they are more likely to be able to accommodate my need for a quiet corner table. I always pre-book for any excursion, whether it is a restaurant, an attraction, a hotel stay etc, so that I can let them know in advance that I have a hearing impairment and they can prepare for my specific needs.

I would definitely avoid fast food restaurants – they are busy, noisy, fast moving and very difficult to navigate (for me), although some have now adopted the new trend of being able to order from your table using an app or in-store QR code which makes it a lot easier.

4. In your opinion what could be done better to help make travel more inclusive and supportive for hearing impaired

Everything is easier if I have it in writing. Confirmation of bookings, times, travel plans, directions etc in writing can help avoid pitfalls. Even having a physical map to use is helpful so people can point at it rather than having to ask for directions and not being able to hear them. Digital travel apps are an amazing resource and should be more widely available for different methods of travel.

Hotels and other accommodation providers could offer amenities for hearing-impaired guests such as visual fire alarms, vibrating alarm clocks and captioned TV services. Having a member of staff trained in basic sign language would help make things easier for those who use it. I will always favour a hotel that offers these things over one that doesn’t.

The main thing for me is making people more aware of the impact of hearing loss on everyday activities such as travelling and eating out. Deafness is an invisible disability and generally people are less likely to recognise that you have additional support needs unless you tell them. I’m not comfortable with the idea of wearing a badge or a lanyard, but if there was discreet signage or digital notification where I could alert staff to my condition, I would definitely use it.

Not because I want to be treated differently – but because I don’t.

The most important thing to me is being treated like everyone else and not singled out because I have hearing loss.