Common difficulties 

Catching public transport is an easy and cost-efficient way of getting to places, but they arent that accessible for people with disabilities. In this case, Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals. The same goes for public places/attractions, like museums, art galleries, historic landmarks, etc. Yes, they have hearing loops in some places, but they can be a real pain to get connected to and use. There are difficulties in every place that you go, but here are some of the difficulties that lots of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people experience:

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

Many public transport systems heavily rely on spoken announcements, so some deaf and hard-of-hearing people may miss important information like: 

• Platform changes 

• Delays and cancellations

• Emergency announcements

• Changes to routes

• Boarding instructions

Without the correct visual displays, important information will not be accessible to people with a hearing impairment. 

Emergency information is often communicated through spoken words with no visual displays in place, which can cause safety issues, stress, and unnecessary anxiety. Some challenges include: 

• Not hearing evacuation instructions

• Missing safety announcements

• Not hearing warnings about service disruptions 

• Difficulty understanding instructions from transport staff during emergencies

There are big challenges when it comes to communication for public transport, such as: 

• Asking for directions 

• Seeking travel assistance

• Reporting lost property

• Purchasing tickets 

• Requesting information about delays 

Communication can be challenging when staff are unfamiliar with deaf awareness 

Train stations, bus interchanges, and airports are often very noisy environments. Some of the noises you may notice around these places are: 

• Engines and machinery 

• Crowds of people 

• Traffic

• Echoes in large buildings

• Public announcements 

For people who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants, these background noises can make speech very difficult to understand

Public transport often uses verbal communication as a way of getting information across, especially safety information, such as: 

• Approaching trains 

• Closing doors

• Platform safety warnings 

• Vehicle malfunctions 

• Emergency alerts 

Communication barriers make unexpected situations harder to manage, so some Deaf or Hard of Hearing people may feel anxious when: 

• Travelling to unfamiliar locations

• Navigating large transport hubs 

• Managing service disruptions 

• Seeking assistance from staff 

PUBLIC PLACES (MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, ECT.)

Many Museums, galleries, and historic landmarks provide information through tour guides, which isn’t always ideal. Some difficulties include: 

• Difficulty hearing the guides

• Missing historical facts and explanations

• Struggling to follow group discussions 

• Limited access to interpreters or captions 

This can reduce overall enjoyment and understanding of the exhibits 

Not all the attractions provide accessible communication options, such as: 

• Videos without captions 

• Audio-only videos 

• Interactive displays that rely only on sound 

• Limited  availability of Auslan or Sign language resources 

Deaf visitors might be missing educational information because they are not able to access what everyone else who has hearing can. 

Communication barriers are bound to happen between staff and visitors because of little understanding of needs. Some Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors may need help with: 

• Purchasing tickets 

• Finding exhibits 

• Asking questions 

• Requesting accessibility support 

Communication barriers occur when: 

• Staff speak too fast 

• People do not face them while talking to them 

• Staff have little to no understanding of deafness and Deaf awareness practices

Public attractions are social environments, which can make Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing people feel excluded from things, especially when with other people they know, they may feel like this when: 

• Friends discuss things while walking 

• Information is only shared verbally 

• Group conversations go too quickly 

• Others are unaware of the communication needs of the other person 

All this can reduce the enjoyment and participation of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing person, not because they don’t want to enjoy it, but because they feel excluded from things that they were to be included in, even if it isn’t intentional. 

Many Deaf or Hard of Hearing visitors use a substantial amount of energy trying to focus on many things at once, mainly hearing and listening. Some things that may get worn out from are: 

• Lip reading 

• Following conversations

• Watching interpreters

• Reading captions 

• Processing a lot of information at once 

After doing this for a bit, they will get burnt out, which can affect enjoyment, participation, and experience.

Some public venues may not fully understand the needs of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing visitors, examples include: 

• Lack of captioning 

• Few visual alerts 

• Limited sign language support 

• Staff not trained in deaf awareness 

All of these exclusions make Deaf or Hard of Hearing people feel unseen and not included in society.