TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Hearing

Visual-First Hospitality: Hosting FAM Trips for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Travelers

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By Jennifer Allen

As accessibility is growing in popularity, more and more destinations are eager to hop on the band wagon. In the excitement to be perceived as “accessible,” it’s important to remember that “accessibility” means very different things to different people. For example, a roll-in shower is not only not helpful to a traveler who is blind, it’s an added barrier. How is he to know where the shower entrance is if it’s level with the floor? Coming to terms with the fact that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to accessibility may leave you feeling overwhelmed. Where do you even begin? Thankfully, this is where we can learn from others within the TravelAbility community. There’s always a trailblazer kickstarting new initiatives and helping us to see the world in a new way, and to create a welcome like never before.

Through Wheel the World, Discover The Palm Beaches hosted a Deaf FAM trip to welcome Renca and Dillon, two Deaf influencers. Erika Constantine, SVP Marketing for Discover The Palm Beaches, shared the experience in a recent interview. Joel Barish, co-founder of DeafNation also contributed his insights as a Deaf traveler.

How do you find talent who’s willing to work with you?

Constantine shared, “We worked with WTW to identify talent. Renca is a popular deaf-travel influencer whose content could really highlight the experiences through The Palm Beaches.”

There’s a wide community of disabled content creators who are ready to work with destinations, including those who are a part of the TravelAbility Creator Community. Joel Barish, for example, is a Deaf influencer who has traveled to 108+ countries and filmed over 4,000 videos documenting Deaf experiences worldwide. In addition to heading up one of the largest Deaf communities in the world, he reaches over 100,000 through social media. 

The talent is easy to find and ready to help.

How do you prepare for a FAM tour for people who are deaf or hard of hearing? 

As Joel points out, “Destinations should understand that Deaf travelers are fully capable, independent travelers — we simply access information visually. Preparation is key.”

Constantine agreed. “Not all deaf travelers will be as savvy as Renca and Dillion, and training is key for frontline staff to recognize the needs of each traveler, in order to provide helpful assistance for all those who visit in the future.” 

Joel highlights preparation as, “being ready for sign language access (whether through an interpreter, VRI, or local signers), ensuring visual communication tools are available, and understanding that clear pre-trip communication is essential.

It’s also important to recognize that sign languages are not universal. Each country has its own sign language, so thinking ahead about local resources makes a big difference. Most importantly, approach Deaf travelers with inclusion in mind, not as a special accommodation — accessibility should be integrated into the experience from the start.”

What about the logistics?

The Palm Beaches have so many accessible resorts, attractions, and outdoor activities, that the first step for their team was narrowing down what they could do during a three-day visit. “We wanted Renca and Dillon to experience a taste of what we have to offer all visitors,” Constantine shared. “We collaboratively reviewed appropriate locations with the Wheel The World creative team that would be visually exciting and tell the story of accessibility in The Palm Beaches.”

“We pitched several resorts,” Constantine shared, “and felt The Ben, Autograph Collection Hotel in downtown West Palm Beach would be a fitting homebase. Since The Ben was mapped by WTW, we knew it offered accommodations such as a visual phone and door and fire alarm signals for travelers with hearing needs. We chose several local attractions and restaurants where a member of the staff was available for sign language assistance, like The Norton Museum of Art and Loggerhead Marinelife Center, or provided printed guides, like the Jupiter Lighthouse and Mounts Botanical Gardens.

What are the greatest challenges facing Deaf travelers?

According to Joel, “The biggest obstacle is the lack of sign language content and visual accessibility. Many destinations promote inclusion but rarely include Deaf people in their storytelling or provide sign language information. Tourism videos, welcome briefings, guided tours, and safety instructions are often entirely audio-based.”

The Palm Beaches FAM trip didn’t encounter any major obstacles. “In some locations,” Constantine shared, “like restaurants that didn’t have a staff member who was familiar with sign language, Renca used her phone to type messages or translate conversations. This made communication smooth.”

Joel reminds us that overcoming barriers doesn’t have to be complicated. “Clear visual communication and a willingness to adapt go a long way. Inclusion is less about perfection and more about intention and collaboration.” He recommends things like “Offering flexible communication methods such as speech-to-text apps, written communication, VRI, or local interpreters,” and “Including sign language in promotional and informational content.”

What are the benefits for the destination? 

In addition to extending marketing to the world’s 430 million people living with significant hearing loss, Constantine shared that, “It was truly meaningful to experience the genuine hospitality for which our destination is known through the eyes of travelers such as Renca and Dillon. Seeing the way the front-line staff of our attractions and resorts welcomed them made me feel a sense of pride in our destination and all Discover The Palm Beaches has done to highlight and encourage accessible travel.”

What else should people know before working with people who are deaf on a FAM tour? 

It doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, Constantine shared that, “If you work with WTW and have your venues and attractions mapped, it will be easy to identify the locations that are accessible for all.” Just choose the places that you already know will work, and it will be seamless. Joel also highlighted the power of connecting visitors with local Deaf communities or signers.

  • Find your talent, 
  • communicate to make sure you’re meeting their needs, 
  • highlight all you’ve already created to welcome them, 
  • share your story in a way that’s accessible to all, 
  • and reach your target audience.

Learn more about DeafNation or connect with Joel here: https://deafnation.com/

See the results from Discover The Palm Beaches’ FAM trip below!

Innovation of the Month: Koda – Breaking Barriers in Live Communication

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Koda, the third-place winner of this year’s InnovateAble Showcase, is an AI-powered accessibility platform transforming live events, travel, and public spaces by providing real-time captions and translations for the deaf, hard of hearing, non-native speakers, and anyone navigating noisy environments.

When Saida Florexil set out to create better communication tools for the deaf and hard of hearing, she was motivated by lived experience. Born deaf, she wanted technology that could support her daily interactions as a college student. At the same time, co-founder Aakriti was watching her grandfather transition to hard of hearing and saw how isolating and frustrating everyday conversations became for him.

Together, they developed Comunify, an early version of their accessibility tool designed to make everyday conversations more inclusive.

“As users began adopting Comunify at events and providing feedback, including event organizers who saw the value, it became clear that the technology could have a much broader impact,” Florexil recalls.

In the summer of 2023, the project relaunched and rebranded as Koda, shifting focus toward making live events, travel, and transportation more accessible and inclusive for all.

The Problem: Missing Out on Key Moments

Communication access in public spaces is often inconsistent or nonexistent. For the deaf and hard of hearing community, as well as non-native speakers or even people struggling to hear in noisy environments, critical information can easily be missed.

“Koda solves the problem of inaccessible communication in public spaces and live events,”

Florexil explains. “Whether it is someone who is deaf, hard of hearing, a non-native speaker, or simply struggling to catch announcements in a noisy environment, people are often excluded from key moments of information and engagement.”

The result can be anything from minor inconveniences—like missing a punchline—to serious challenges, such as misunderstanding flight announcements or safety information.

The Koda Solution: Real-Time, AI-Powered Accessibility

Koda is designed to bridge those gaps with live, scalable, AI-powered accessibility.

  • Conferences and Festivals: Real-time captions and translations help attendees follow along, network effectively, and stay engaged.
  • Sports Arenas and Public Transit: Travelers and fans never miss critical announcements, regardless of disability, language barriers, or the noise of the venue.
  • Entertainment Settings: From comedy shows to theater productions, Koda ensures audiences don’t miss a word, joke, or performance cue.

By providing instant communication access, Koda not only improves accessibility but also enhances engagement for all audiences.

Pricing Model

Koda’s pricing is designed to be flexible based on scale and event type.

  • Base rate: $50 per hour
  • Additional daily costs: Applied for remote support depending on event needs

This makes Koda accessible to a wide range of organizations, from small community events to large-scale festivals and conferences.

Building a More Inclusive Future

Koda may have started as a personal solution, but it is rapidly becoming a platform with global potential. By focusing on accessibility first, Florexil and her team are showing how inclusive technology can create better experiences for everyone.

Around the Web November 2025

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AI leading the charge for inclusion and other surprising news and inspiration. Dive in Below!

Practical Hacks From the Accessibility Playbook: Auditory Disabilities

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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.

Lived Experience: Lily Yu Explores Torrance, California

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Lily Yu is the adventurous soul behind Deaf Journey – a travel blog for Deaf travelers. Driven by wanderlust and fueled by inclusion, she has visited 54 countries and shares her experiences online to show that deaf people can travel and overcome barriers without hearing sounds. In addition to her blog, she has over 117k social media followers.

Her latest blog post features Torrance, California. From tea rooms to Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s house, find out why she calls it one of the most exciting and accessible destinations in the South Bay!

Read Here

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