Handicapped Travel Resources for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Posted April 15th, 2010 in general news and helpful information
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Photo by: Henning Buchholz (Stock Exchange)
Hello, hello, hello! Today’s post on Disabled Travelers is all about our deaf and hard-of-hearing traveler friends. We often have a focus on mobility impaired access around here, but as we all know, hearing impairment creates a whole different set of challenges. That shouldn’t stop you from going wherever you wish, of course, and we’re here to help with resources to get you moving!
There’s a really vibrant blogging culture among deaf travelers, and it’s definitely a good sign so many people are sharing their experiences. That said, I’m going to link to a couple of blogs, so take what you find with a grain of salt (but obviously, the folks who read Disabled Travelers are by no means blog-averse!)
The Travelbee is a great, personal resource for deaf international travelers. There are plenty of general posts on trip preparation and getting around, as well as articles covering Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, and many other exciting locales. Definitely worth a look, and “Bee” is an active world traveler who keeps things fresh. She hasn’t posted much recently, but the archived info is very useful, and maybe we can wake things up!
Yes, there are tour operators who specialize in deaf travel! Passages Deaf Travel is a full-service travel agency that offers cruises all over the world especially for those with hearing difficulties. Every aspect of the booking and travel process is undertaken with your needs in mind. Destinations past and present include Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and many more in the tropics.
Deaf Globetrotters offers cruises and land-based tours that have covered Hawaii, the eastern Caribbean, Alaska, and New England. There have also been river tours in the past, though there seem to be none coming soon. Want to make it to Europe instead? No problem; Tenon Tours includes semi-escorted trips through Ireland with interpreters. Hands On Travel has signed tours of Italy as well as domestic destinations like Las Vegas. The company also maintains a photo-illustrated blog detailing trips and events.
Visit The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality for tips on traveling with hearing impairment or deafness and also has listings of tour operators specializing in signed and other deafness-friendly types of tours. Needless to say, there’s also a bevy of information for all kinds of other needs; SATH is one of the most established international allies to the handicapped traveler community.
Earthbound Expeditions is a unique travel agent offering small-group journeys that can be customized for a variety of handicaps. The company offers tours in Africa, Latin America, and across the whole of Europe, and has a truly personalized feel, with guides who really know their way around your destination. EE really benefits by its use of experienced locals from Austria, Greece, Italy, Britain, Slovenia, Costa Rica and more. Worth a look if you don’t want to “go it alone.”
There are plenty of other resources to find for deaf travel. I’ll be covering more of them, including a monthly deaf travel round-up, right here on the Disabled Travelers blog, so don’t forget to drop in for the latest. Adventure on!
Si
