More than 13 million people in the US today suffer from complete or partial hearing loss. Obviously, it’s no benefit; people get used to it and adapt, yet it’s never good or beneficial. Yet people live with such issues and strife for a full life, just like every other person.
“Blindness separates from things. Deafness separates from people,” said once the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. These words remain relevant today. Imagine having earplugs; they are constantly there, and your own speech is louder than the words of others. That is the experience that people with partial hearing loss have. And the complete loss of hearing, well, as someone once said, “deaf people are not aliens, yet they are foreigners.” Regardless of how tough it may be, as we’ve said, everyone strives towards love, emotions, and, overall, full and happy life. So, today, we will discuss some helpful tips for deaf couples if they decide to travel abroad.
Hearing Aids
- Keep your hearing aid (s) where you can easily find them at all times. For example, you can store them in a box near the bed. The box can be attached to the floor lamp or the foot of the bed with a rope or Velcro. If you lose or damage your hearing aid, it will be difficult to repair the device or find a new one after a major disaster.
Signaling
- Your devices should be fully adapted to your needs, whether it’s a PC, smartphone, or whatever it is. Smartphones can vibrate, there are some phone models that suit the needs of the deaf people better. Your PC should be adapted so that notifications have more of a visual nature than just a regular sound that plays whenever you receive a notification.
Defend your interests
- Ensure that TV channels broadcast all news releases and emergency messages in a text format.
- Ensure that TV channels plan ahead for the provision of sign language interpreters in the frame during emergency reporting.
- Ensure that your hotel has all the needed tools for your needs, such as TV channels that have sign language interpretation. This can include lights and alarms. Ask about their availability when you check into a hotel.
- While being deaf might seem like an impairment, it is no roadblock for love. Love goes through everything, tough times, war, death; it passes through generations, races, and cultures.
Batteries
- You should have spare batteries for your hearing aid or implant. If possible, keep a spare hearing aid in the first-aid kit.
- A pager, a phone with text output to the screen, and other means of communication should always be charged.
- Teletype batteries and other means of communication must be in working condition. In addition, you must have spare batteries. Requirements for working with batteries can be found in the manufacturer’s manual.
Communication
- You should know how to contact the rescue services if you do not have a translator or if you do not have a hearing aid with you. In this case, you must have a pen and paper.
- We recommend that you carry your printed sheets with important messages, for example:
- “I use American Sign Language (ASL), and I need an ASL translator.”
- “I can’t write and read English.”
- “If you are to say anything, you must write or explain them to me with gestures”
- If possible, you should have a TV with batteries, in which there is a card decoder. It will help you to watch TV messages about an emergency with a sign language or creeping line.
- Find out which channels will broadcast round-the-clock news with sign language and (or) text ticker.
