Traveling can be a nightmare at times. We all had horrible experiences traveling at one point or another. We have grown accustomed to the possible sights, smells, and sounds when traveling , but just imagine what that could be like if your world had no sound. It would make certain ways of traveling more challenging than others.
In airports, announcements are made constantly when a flight is arriving, boarding, departing, or disembarking. Those announcements have no use for someone that can not hear. Deaf individuals rely on the digital boards displaying updated flight information around the terminals or flashing signs stating current information like "now boarding" or "gate closed". Those additional things may not mean anything to a hearing person, but could make a world of difference to someone that does not hear. It make them not only comfortable and self sufficient. The Rochester International Airport is the first airport in the county to install keyboards for hearing-impaired individuals called Interpretype or ITY™.
Other modes of transportation are slow in making traveling easy and enjoyable for everyone. Smaller train stations have no way of letting deaf individuals know updated information. There is no digital boards stating that the train will be arriving on-time or late. They will get that information whenever the train shows up using their own visual acuity. Bus stations have some type of information board to display information; but just like the train once you are on board there is no way of getting any updated information about stops, layovers, or problems if they arise.
In short, I feel that traveling should be made as easy as it can be for everyone. We have the means to make it happen. Others countries provide travel information to texting devices and cellphones using Bluetooth technology. We have to be mindful that it is not just a hearing world that we live in. It is also a deaf world.
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