Traveling Deaf

True story on traveling Deaf and alone:

On my flight back to the Bay Area from Hawaii, a girl sat next to me.  A young college age girl who is learning some ASL at CSU Hayward.  Happens there’s major turbulence once we were in the air and I immediately had a bad feeling.  I’ve been flying all my life, honestly I love flying and I’ve never been worried one bit until now...my gut feeling told me something was wrong and for the first time I was actually nervous and scared on a plane.  The turbulence died down so I attributed it to a rare temporary incident and hoped it was just a passing.  They went ahead to pass out snacks and water so I figured we were safe by then.  Then some time later the girl next to me tried to tell me something, ended up writing in her phone : “we are going back to Honolulu.”  My first internal response was I hope we make it back to Honolulu...I asked for more details, why?  What else did they say?  Did they say what time we would land?  I wanted to know more and felt so anxious not having full accessibility.  The girl wrote it was mechanical problems with the plane and that's it.  I asked her how she knew, did they announce it over the PA System?  She nodded.

The plane landed back to Honolulu.  The girl informed me that we need to exit the plane.  When we exit the plane go left.  I asked her why go left?  Then she says Gate 31 and there's another flight at 7:45 pm.  I thanked her for her help but knew when I get off the plane I needed to get my own information of what’s going on, I want to know more details and also make sure they know and remember that they have a Deaf passenger.  I proceeded off the plane and to gate 31, everybody grabs their seats in the lobby, runs to outlets to charge their phones (lucky I have a portable battery with me fully charged) and scatters about while there’s not an attendant in sight.  The line was so long at the help desk with no one there to help.  There was one stewardress around and then she left to head to the gate doors which is blocked off by sliding glass doors.  I wrote on my phone “Hi I’m Deaf.  Can someone let me know what’s going on with my flight?” And tapped on the glass door.  The two women looked up at me and I signed “I’m Deaf” so one came to talk to me.  I showed her the note on my phone through the glass so she came around and started verbally telling me what’s going on.  I again gestured that I’m Deaf and to please write it down.  She looks exasperated and heads back to the gate stand talking with the other lady taking a long long time to do anything.  Then I started to write more questions on my phone because I had a feeling she wasn’t going to give me ANY details.  Another different woman walked up near me talking on her phone, she works for the airport but looks like she works in the office and not at the gates.  I gestured to her that I am Deaf and to please help.  I showed her my notes on my phone and she typed on it answering all my questions about what time the flight leaves, what time is boarding time while she’s still talking on the phone and also signing “sorry” to me.  Then finally the other lady from earlier comes up with one sentence on her paper “plane swap, mechanical problems”.  I said thank you to both but really to the lady that treated me like a person and took the time to inform me fully what’s going on.  I also always double check with them where I should stand and wait and where exactly they will be boarding, she said I can wait in the area next the glass doors.  Some time later(15 to 20 minutes later) I saw them talking over the PA system and people were moving around, they were collecting wheelchair users to get ready for preboard.  I caught one of the stewards and told him I’m Deaf so he brought me in line for preboard.  When it came my turn to come up, I walked up holding my mobile boarding pass in my phone and the woman just looked at me.  So I put my phone to be scanned and the same woman said no and something inaudible but there were no facial expressions.  I gathered I should stop and a different woman started talking to me.  I told her I was Deaf and then she gestured to wait and that they’re taking care of the wheelchair users first.  I appreciate her willing to communicate with me and give me actual details.  After waiting for a few minutes the woman from the phone earlier came up to talk to the gate people and they pointed to me. She turned facing me smiling and relieved.  I smiled and told her “thank you” reading between the lines that she was informing them of a Deaf passenger — me.  THEN as the original woman who didn’t want to write anything down for me takes my ticket and smiles at me along with all the other gate stewardesses.

My point is never to complain about these situations because I’ve actually kept quiet about the millions of similar or worse experiences than this one.  I rather educate and express my experiences as a Deaf woman.  Many times it’s frustrating and anxious because we live in a world that doesn’t naturally provide accessibility for Deaf people.

Additional note:  Also adding that the in flight entertainment did not have any captions. (Disappointed face)