My mother has very little hearing – she’s lost her hearing progressively over the past 30 years.

I started writing an online column about accessible travel about 16 months ago, and while most of the queries I get are about wheelchair accessibility, I try to write about other accessibility issues sometimes, including those arising from sensory loss.

I just wanted to say, I’m trying in my small way to make some noise for all of us. I don’t want anyone’s travel to be unnecessarily stressful, for any reason.

Love what I have seen of this website and I look forward to returning for more.

Cheers,

Jill
Canada

keep u the good work it is raising the awareness.

also you may like to read my paper on similar issue at DANISHKADAH website

http://danishkadah.brinkster.net/activitiesProjects/papers_publications/ICAT2007/index.html

thanks
Akram

WOW! Those are P-E-R-F-E-C-T examples of why it is an absolute must to caption the videos and such. I also have flown so many times, and you are the first person to make me realize wow how confusing it could be if it is not explained properely.

As for this part..”Another thing I had never known before seeing this video is that you’re not supposed to inflate your vest while you’re still on the plane. I do wish they had explained WHY because that doesn’t make sense to me. But I can easily picture in an emergency that I might have gone ahead to inflate my vest while waiting for instructions to evacuate–because I simply wouldn’t have known that I was supposed to wait to do that.”

Just wanted to say because, if the water invades the aircraft and you inflate your vest, you will float and not manuever as well inside the aircraft and possibly not be able to fit through the door or window with it inflated. It is a safety issue also.

Thanks for bringing up so many issues and examples, and if you have any other questions about the safety videos and stuff PLEASE ask them here we all would be happy to help and assist and get them straightened out!

Alex

THANK you for linking to the various videos. I have flown a great many times, but very nearly always have the bad luck of ending up on a plane without captioned safety videos.

Because I had flown so many times I already knew most of what was in the video that I chose to watch (I didn’t watch all, just the first one). It probably helps that I ALWAYS try to review the pamphlet even if I feel I already know it. And over the years I have had chances to have people explain some of the information to me. But two things I wanted to make note of:

1. For many YEARS, I honestly believed that the reason why you need to pull those chords on the oxygen mask was because that was how you got the air to start flowing! In other words, I thought the cords were the signal to the mask to turn itself on! It was not until I had been on many flights, reading many many pamphlets over and over and watching many many non-captioned videos and watching many many stewardess gestures that someone finally explained to me, after something I said, that no, the cords are just to tighten the mask.

However, until I saw the video, I STILL did not realize how important it was to make SURE that the mask is secured *tightly*. Even after that one above-mentioned explanation, I did not realize that it was something specifically needed. Even after being told that the cords were just to tighten the mask I was thinking that that was just to make sure it stayed in place–I didn’t realize you had to make sure it was “as tight as possible” which is a little different from just making it tight enough that it won’t move around too much.

Okay, I guess it makes sense — you want to be sure that all the oxygen is going to your breathing passages and that none of it is leaking out and going to waste. But I can very easily imagine that if I had ever actually needed to use a mask before seeing this video, I might not have secured the mask tightly enough. Suppose I had been responsible for putting a mask on a child (who might not know enough to alert me that s/he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. That’s scary.

Another thing I had never known before seeing this video is that you’re not supposed to inflate your vest while you’re still on the plane. I do wish they had explained WHY because that doesn’t make sense to me. But I can easily picture in an emergency that I might have gone ahead to inflate my vest while waiting for instructions to evacuate–because I simply wouldn’t have known that I was supposed to wait to do that.

Yes, ALL airlines MUST caption their safety videos. The pamphlets by themselves are not quite enough — although the videos are not that much more detailed (most of it IS just repeating what’s in the pamphlets), the particular video I viewed did still have nuances that the pamphlets just don’t EVER have.

I have made definately dozens, possibly 100+, separate flights, especially if you count each new take-off as a new “flight.” And I always read the pamphlet and watch the video or stewardess. And there were still nuances I COMPLETELY missed for all these 20-plus years because the videos are so rarely captioned! I have flown from DC to Hawaii … from DC to Costa Rica … from Boston to San Franscisco and back, several times … from Boston to Chicago and back, several times … Boston to Nebraska and back, several times … DC to New Hampshire … DC to New York … and so many more, and still didn’t know!

It was good to see you on here.. finally! :-) Sound like all goes well for you which is good and keep you busy in past weeks!

Wow, that was crazy. I wonder if they knew you are deaf beforehand? Even after the time you told them you can’t hear and yet they did not tell you on next announcement. That is exactly what I am concerned about for all of us for last minute announcement.

I’d suggest for you to contact SWA regarding this and I am sure they will have it taken care of and straighten it out with you. Best to let them know so it won’t happen again, that’s what I did a couple of times.

Sound like you had a long, long flight!! Geesh.. at least you made it home safe and hope to see you on here more! :-)

-SG

First, I want to apologize this incident happened. What you described in terms of the incident of the aircraft in question is actually normal and you were not in any example in danger.

An indicator light is like a light bulb going off, or you needed to get your oil changed light turned on. It is not dangerous to go on but for safety reasons the flight must not resume and they must do an aircraft swap.

2ndly, I am assuming you specifically pre boarded the flight as a disabled passenger to make the time to communicate to the flight attendant about your needs as a Deaf Passenger. Assuming you did so, I am very sorry to hear they failed to alert you and let you know. The 2nd time around when you went to ask the F/A what was going on, I assume you also reminded that F/A and again he failed to communicate with him.

Southwest is normally very good about communicating with the disabled Customers on board and I would urge you to write a complaint letter to the airline stating specifically what happened, the communication barrier and how the F/A failed to alert you and let you know even though you had told them you were deaf.

You will get a response from them, what the response is I am not sure. SWA and like any other airline will not change their ways until we get the complaints like your’s so we know what to do and change it to make it better for everyone included.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Alex