The holidays are upon us and they mean we travel to see family and or take fun vacations! When you have a hearing impairment, traveling may give you a little bit of anxiety and you’re not alone Traveling with hearing loss doesn’t have to make you nervous, when you are prepared with extra hearing aid parts and a plan, you’ll be ready for wherever your travels take you this holiday season. Here are a few tips for traveling with hearing loss to follow:
Tips for traveling with hearing loss by plane:
- When you are booking your flight, there are often areas where you can note any special requests for assistance or extra time needed. You can use this area to explain your hearing loss and any requests for assistance once at the airport and gate.
- Avoid booking flights near the wing and or jets of the plane, they are the loudest.
- Download the app for whichever airline you will be flying. The app will show you any alerts as they happen if you enable notifications and it will also house all of your boarding information.
- Scope out your gate prior to boarding, even if you are early – you can use this time to tell any attendants of your hearing impairment and to double check that everything is on time.
- Hearing aids do not have to be removed during your security screening – you can keep all forms of hearing aids on as you go through security.
- Ask for a seat near the front of the plane so you can be near the flight attendants in case you need any assistance during the flight. This will help you have easy access and an easier time communicating on a noisy flight.
Tips for traveling with hearing loss by train:
- Long distance trains such as Amtrak don’t always have signs displaying the stops. To make sure you don’t miss your stop you should speak with one of the train conductors to tell them that you will need assistance in knowing when your stop is coming up.
- If you commute to work and the train doesn’t have a sign telling you the stops, you can count the number of stops between when you get on and off, or look for a visual symbol at the station you need to exit at.
- Ask another passenger on the train which stop is next or if they wouldn’t mind telling you when your stop is announced
Tips for traveling with hearing loss by bus:
- For short trips which may require you to purchase specific pass from the driver, you can write down which pass you need and can show them if you are worried about communicating when boarding.
- Look up the bus fare prior to your trip, not all buses will give change and many require exact fare amounts.
- If your bus does not have a sign that states the stop, you can ask the bus driver to tell you when you get to your stop. Sit in the front of the bus so you are easily in eyesight of the bus driver.
- For long bus trips you can tell your driver while you are boarding that you have a hearing impairment. You can ask them to tell you when you arrive at your specific stop.
At Krista Szalc, Audiology, PLLC, we offer a variety of hearing care services including hearing tests, hearing aid services and tinnitus treatment. You can easily schedule an appointment with us online or via the phone. Contact us today and let us help you protect your hearing.