Practical Hacks From the Accessibility Playbook: Auditory Disabilities

Seven years in the making, the Travelability Accessibility Playbook, created in partnership with Destinations International, is an end-to-end toolkit to equip destination organizations on their accessibility journey, enabling them to better welcome and accommodate people with disabilities within their destination. 

Deafness and being hard of hearing are both conditions that affect a person’s ability to hear.

Deafness: 

Deafness refers to a profound hearing loss that may render a person unable to hear sounds at all or only able to perceive very loud noises. Individuals who are deaf typically rely on alternative forms of communication, such as sign language, lip-reading, or written communication to interact with others and navigate the world around them.

Hard of Hearing: 

Being hard of hearing (HoH) refers to having a partial hearing loss, where a person may have difficulty hearing certain sounds or frequencies but can still perceive sound to some extent.  Individuals who are hard of hearing may rely on hearing aids, assistive listening devices, or other accommodations to improve their ability to hear speech and other sounds. Hard of hearing individuals often use spoken language as their primary mode of communication.

A WARM WELCOME

• Get Their Attention: Before speaking make sure you have their attention. Do this by waving your hand, tapping them gently on the shoulder, or making eye contact.

• Communicate Clearly: Speak clearly and at a moderate pace but avoid shouting and covering your mouth as it can distort lip movement. Use natural facial expressions and gestures to enhance communication and avoid exaggeration.

• Respect Their Communication Preferences: Respect the individual’s preferred communication method, whether it’s sign language, lip-reading, written communication, or a combination of methods. If you’re unsure, ask them how they prefer to communicate. Do not assume the individual reads lips.

• Provide Accommodations: Provide accommodations such as written materials, visual aids, or assistive listening devices to facilitate communication and ensure inclusivity.

• Address the Person Directly: Don’t speak to interpreters, companions, or caregivers instead of directly addressing the deaf or HoH individual.