Travelling can feel daunting if you’re deaf or have hearing loss, especially when airports and train stations rely heavily on spoken announcements. In this blog, Matt shares his experience of navigating holidays abroad and the tips that helped make his trips more accessible.
This blog shares the author’s lived experience of travelling with sudden hearing loss. It reflects their personal views, not official RNID guidance.
How hearing loss affected my confidence to travel
For 36 years I had flown confidently with family, friends, and on my own. Before losing my hearing in 2022, I knew my way around an airport, but then my brain stopped processing speech. I could no longer hear people, and I didn’t think holidays were possible anymore.
Travelling can be stressful anyway – I forget how many times I check if I’ve packed my passport – but I’ve now learned there are a couple of things available to people who are deaf or have hearing loss (and our travel partners) that can help you feel less anxious. Best of all, they’re free!
Unfortunately, they seem to keep this information quiet, but there are people who are employed to help anyone who is deaf get through the airport and onto their flight. Some can even use British Sign Language (BSL). I’ve since travelled a few times, and I want to share some of my experiences with you so you can be confident too.
How to request special assistance when booking flights
What I’ve learned is that every booking website, airline and airport works differently, which is not ideal. Luckily, my first trip to France could not have been easier (and it was with a budget airline). I booked through the airline’s website and the form asked if the passenger needed any “Special Assistance”. I ticked “Yes”, selected “Deaf”, and that was it!
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. I later discovered that sometimes you have to do your own work, and sometimes you just can’t. I encountered both of these situations during my trip to Japan and South Korea.
I booked my flights to Japan with a Chinese airline via Booking.com, and my flight to Seoul was booked through a Korean airline’s website. I wasn’t able to select “Special Assistance” on either flight, so instead I emailed the Chinese airline to let them know that I was deaf and required assistance. They replied and it was fine. However, I couldn’t contact the Korean airline at all.
My experience of airport accessibility
I was particularly anxious my first time. I didn’t know what was going on, but the Special Assistance team took care of everything. On my phone, I wrote my name, the flight I was booked on, and that I’m deaf so that I could show the team at the Special Assistance desk at the terminal. We communicated via text, I was walked through security and to the gates, then I was accompanied onto the plane before the other passengers.
After landing, I remained seated until the plane was empty, then I was greeted by someone from the airport who walked me through passport control and to arrivals. It was simple and no questions were asked.
My trip to Japan was similar, but it hasn’t always been that seamless. At times I’ve felt like I should prompt someone, but I was always in the system, and they made sure I got on my flight.
Despite not being able to tell the Korean airline that I’m deaf, after two weeks in Japan and having to constantly communicate using translation apps, I was no longer that anxious about getting to Seoul. I queued in the normal line to check in with the “I’m deaf, etc…” message translated on my phone, but they looked a bit puzzled. This could be because they weren’t expecting a deaf person, or because they weren’t used to dealing with deaf people, but after using my translation app and previous flight experiences to request assistance to the plane, they ended up being brilliant with me.
How do cabin crew communicate with passengers who are deaf or have hearing loss?
I didn’t really notice any difference during the short haul flights, but I was particularly impressed with the hostesses on the flight to Japan. They weren’t fluent in English, but they wrote notes to me throughout the flight. For this flight I had to transfer in Beijing, but I didn’t need to worry as I was accompanied to the next flight. When I eventually landed in Japan I was greeted by airport staff – they communicated with me via a translation app, as they would have even if I could hear.
I generally find that once I’ve been to the Special Assistance desk I can relax. Then I know I’m in the system and the airline team will ensure I catch my flight. But even when I found myself in my worst-case scenario – when there was no special assistance available and I was in a different country with a different language who didn’t know a deaf person was coming – I felt looked after, and I caught my flight.
My experience of communicating throughout the holiday
If you have a smartphone, you have access to apps you can use when you arrive for both maps and communication. Most people need them anyway, but for deaf people like me it can ease the journey. We need to communicate – at the hotel, for a coffee, when out for a meal, etc – but if you use a translation app, you’ll find people will reply using the same app.
During my first night in Japan, I was sat at a busy bar, yet three members of staff made small talk with me via text. I’d walk out of places smiling after the interactions I had, and sometimes I would be given handwritten “Thank you for coming” notes. People made a real effort to communicate with me.
When I lost my hearing, I’d see friends’ holiday photos on social media, and I’d feel like I was missing out. I didn’t think it was possible for me, but now I’ve proven it is. Now, it’s your turn.
