Airport Sends me a Wonderful Response to my Ideas On New Year's

RE: Case Number 7827752 Thank you for sharing your experience when traveling with us recently. On behalf of Delta Air Lines, I welcome the opportunity to review your concerns. We appreciate receiving your suggestion. Many customers share their feedback with us, and these observations oftentimes form the basis for improvements in our service. Our goal is to serve the needs of all our passengers. Be assured I will be sharing your suggestion with the responsible leadership team. I want to thank you, again, for writing. We appreciate your interest in our company and look forward to serving your future air travel needs. Sincerely, Coordinator, Corporate Customer Care Delta Air Lines Original Message Follows: ------------------------ Delta Air Lines Delta.com Check-in Form

The Wonderful Response I got back from the Airport

It's some time for me to show appreciation towards the airport representatives. I have received some very nice letters back from the airport this week telling me that they appreciated my new ideas and that they have looked at my blog. It is good to know I'm being heard and listened to when I mentioned what ways would be helpful for the deaf in airports. The good news is some of my ideas are going to be talked about in the next meeting at the end of this month. And they invited me to go attend the meeting to hear them tell some of my new suggestions that would be helpful for the deaf passengers. And I am very grateful that someone from the airport is listening to me and going to try to get my ideas out in the open and to more people in the next meeting coming up. I look forward to going and let's see what accomplishments could possibly be made in the future for the deaf passengers.

They Should Provide these Services for the Deaf on Airplanes

When I flew on the airplane from Buffalo to Detroit by round trip over Christmas, there was absolutely nothing on it to help the deaf understand what was going on. As soon as I boarded the plane and sat down, they did their safety demonstration up front as usual with a microphone explaining the instructions. They had me sit in the back, I couldn't see anything, nor could I understand anything being said over the microphone. In the future, I believe every single plane should have closed captioning screens available for the deaf on board. If they can't afford to install these screens at every seat, well why not install one or two at certain seats and have the deaf passengers sit in those special seats? That way when they are announcing anything up front over the microphone, the words being said can be printed onto the t.v. screen for the deaf person to read at his seat. That goes for the safety rules instructions, it will show a video of the person doing his or her demonstration on the safety rules and it will put everything into closed captioning on the screen for the deaf person to read. They should also train every single flight attendant a few simple words in sign language when they are passing out the drinks and snacks. I could never understand what the flight attendant was saying to me when she was pushing the cart full of drinks with cheap tasteless snacks that looked like they were found in a trash can. If they could train them a few simples words such as, what would you like to drink? Or we have these snacks available, which one would you like? That would b wonderful. I have never met a single flight attendant on a plane in my whole life that knew sign language.

My solution for the deaf as an easier way to check in at the Airport

First thing I would love to see as soon I step into an airport is a large overhead picture of something welcoming written in sign language. This would make me feel like the airports are trying to make deaf people feel more welcomed. Nowadays I feel like an alien whenever I go to an airport. Because when I can't understand what they are saying, and I try to tell them I'm deaf, they look lost and don't seem to know what to do. And I am so tired of trying to explain to the people who work in the airports how to communicate with me, when they don't show any interest or any effort in trying to speak more clearly for me. They need to show some more motivation when they encounter deaf customers like me. Every time I have told them over Christmas all around the airport I was deaf, they made it look like I was a big burden and they acted like they didn't want to deal with me because they had no clue what to do. I'm really tired of running into people like that. At the check in counter, there should be flyers to choose from that describe all the services being provided for the deaf in the airport. They should install monitors at the service counter, so that the lady who works there can type in all directions for the deaf when they check in their suitcases. The words will show up on the monitor, so that we can read and understand what to do with our luggage. All questions being asked and all directions are being typed. There will be a keyboard for the deaf passengers to be able to type back their questions and answers with numbers as choices attached to sentences. There will be easy selections, with numbers 1 to 10. Each number has a sentence with a question or direction, so the lady can type these in fast: such as, 1. May I see your ticket? 2. Do you have your passport? 3. I need to see your I.D. or some sort of identification. 4. Where are you flying to? 5. How many suitcases do you have? 6. You need to go to this gate 7. Your flight is boarding at this time 8. It's time for you to put your suitcases through. 9. You need to make a payment of this amount. 10. Have a nice flight! This would be perfect for me, because then I don't have to deal with not being able to understand what is being said. I can read everything she is saying on the monitor in front of me. The deaf people can push a button up front saying they are deaf and they want the monitor to display all directions for them. I would love it if they could have something like this.

My 10 minute miracle at Burger King

So far I've had about 3 treatments at the Chiropractor's office. He told me after some time, I might be able to understand the words better when people are talking. Except that will happen with my hearing aids on, but I was hoping I would get some hearing back with them off, as I don't like wearing them. But I will be grateful for any kind of progress in my hearing if I can get any. So last week, I went to the Burger King drive-thru to order some Chicken sandwiches, the buy one get one free deal. I have never been able to understand a word being said through a drive thru speakers. Not once in my whole life has that ever happened. If I was in a hurry I would just go up to the drive-thru and tell them I can't hear them and pull up to the window and order from there. They never understood why I did that because I didn't tell them I was deaf. Well, I had a 10 minute miracle happen at Burger king. When I pulled up to the speaker, I went ahead and ordered the food. Then I was going to drive up to the window and lipread what she had to tell me about my order. Then the girl asked me what kind of drink I wanted and if I wanted anything else. And I stopped my car and slammed the brakes. My god, did I actually hear her? How can this be? Well I might as well talk to the speaker then. And I was shocked, I couldn't understand why or how, it was my first time. So I asked her what kind of soda she had, and she listed them and I understood her over the speakers, every single word. Then I told her I had a coupon for a free soda, and I heard her say okay, do you want anything else? Then I started having a conversation with her and kept thanking her because I couldn't believe I was understanding the words without lipreading. She sounded happy as well because I must of been a joyful customer. Then I pulled up to the window and she was all smiles. And I looked at her as if she was an angel because she was the first person I was able to hear over a speaker for the first time in my whole life. And I believe this was a miracle. But I am still deaf. At this period in my life, I am experiencing moments when I can actually hear people and the words , at 5 to 10 minute time periods. It comes and goes, most of the time I cannot hear or understand them. But with this chiropractic treatment I am experiencing being able to hear and understand people at unknown times and unknown moments and it is quite amazing.

My Second Letter to the Airport Regarding Services for the Deaf

to BNIAinfo Good Evening: I'm really happy that you were able to take the time to read my blog. Thank you for telling me that. :) And it is good that you have these 10 TSA officers that have learned sign language to help assist the deaf travelers. What does TSA stand for? Also I appreciate you giving me the numbers to call in case I need assistance when travelling. There are two categories of the deaf people. 1. The hard of hearing people that mostly just rely on lipreading and that are able to speak well enough for people to understand them. I belong in that category. Even though I'm 90 percent deaf, I have been brought up in the hearing world. So I am used to just relying on lipreading, and I rarely use sign language unless I am around another deaf person. My speech is pretty good, so usually I just use my voice to communicate with others. But then lipreading does not work for me at the gates, because I'm unable to lipread the person with the microphone announcing the flights. And I'm unable to lipread the people at the security area, mainly because they do not know I'm deaf. And they would need to look straight at me when they talk and to speak louder than usual, and that never happens in the airport. Even when I tell them I'm deaf, they don't seem to know what to do. I think the closed captioning boards would be excellent if they could have them at every gate like how they had them in the Detroit airport but they were lacking the boards in the security area and at the check in counter. I hope they could figure out a way to put them out all around the airport in the future somehow. When I wear my hearing aids, I can hear about 58 percent or so, but I can't understand every word a person says, even when lipreading. The closed captioning boards would be a great benefit to the profound deaf people also. But if they want the interpreters, then that will work for them. It would be helpful if the airports would put some kind of sign up in the front by the check in area, or some posters on a bulletin board that every one can see, telling us what services they have that are available for the deaf. Maybe something in big writing that includes all the numbers you mentioned to me and the services and the numbers to the people that do know sign language that work in the airport and so on. Or maybe put up some ads describing all the information and numbers to call when people are getting their plane tickets. Maybe even put a commercial on t.v. for the world to see, that there are a few services available to assist the deaf people if they need it at the time in the airport. This way we will know there is something out there that can help them for now. Year after year, when I sit on a plane, they do some kind of safety demonstration before the plane takes off. There was no closed captioning boards in the plane telling us what was being said by the person doing the demonstration. As I sat in my seat on the plane last night on Christmas, I understood and heard nothing when the person was trying to tell us what to do in case there is an emergency. I could not hear anything from my seat, I couldn't even see the person or what he or she was doing up front. And they would announce it over the microphone and I couldn't understand anything. I really think all this needs to change, and that they need to start doing something more for the deaf people on the airplane before taking off, like putting up a closed captioned monitor to show all the words being said over the speaker and by the person showing the safety demonstration before take off. I used to work at the Work shops on Deafness.

My experience in the Detroit Airport on Christmas

I was very impressed that there were overhead boards in the security area at the Buffalo airport that were closed captioned. There was more than one of them also and that was good. I have never seen that before. The bad thing was there was nothing closed captioned at my gate. Therefore it was a bad experience for me. When the man was announcing the flights about when our plane was boarding over the microphone, I understood nothing at all. The funny thing was in the Detroit airport, they had nothing in the security area for the deaf people. There were no closed captioning monitors or boards for us to read anything. But at the gates, they had three closed captioning boards for the deaf people to read from. And I was very impressed that it told the time our flights were arriving and leaving and it also told us the time our plane was boarding. It was so good that it got to the point of telling us which people get to board first from certain seats, but then it did not tell me when I can board the plane from my seat number. So there was a problem there. But it was all good, better than how it used to be when they had nothing to help the deaf in the airport. And I felt right at home in the Detroit airport at the gate. So thank you for putting up those closed captioning monitors for the deaf people!

Another Complaint Letter I sent to the Airport asking them to improve Services for the Deaf

*HOW CAN WE HELP? When I went to check in my bags at the airport, I couldn't understand anything the lady was saying at the front desk. I am deaf and I rely on lipreading but it was hard to do that in there. Maybe you could install a button for deaf passengers to press when they are there to inform the airport services they need special assistance. Or have a closed captioned board in front of them that will caption everything the lady is saying to them. They had closed captioning boards at the gates in Detroit, which was helpful. I was able to see when the plane was boarding and arriving. There were 3 closed captioned monitors at my gate. But it did not tell us when people at my seat were supposed to board the plane and that was another issue. In buffalo there wasn't any closed captioning boards at my gate, and that was bad news. I did not understand a single word the gate attendant was telling us over the microphone regarding our flights. My daughter had to tell me when it was time to board the plane, I had no other way of knowing. Therefore my experience at the airport as a deaf passenger was pretty lousy. I did not feel welcomed and I wasn't given any assistance that I needed to understand what was going on.

Merry Christmas

I wrote a letter and sent it to the Buffalo Airport today

Deaf Lady traveling By Plane To: BNIAinfo: Buffalo Airport: On Sun, Dec 23, 2012 at 2:07 PM, Susana King wrote: To the person in charge of the Buffalo Airport's Services for the deaf people : Could you kindly read this article in my blog http://deaf47.blogspot.com/ on the Deaf Lady traveling By Plane? I have been deaf my whole life and I have very unpleasant experiences every time I go to the Buffalo Airport, not being able to understand what is going on there. Have they ever thought of posting a closed captioned screen or monitor at each gate so that they can close caption everything the person is announcing over the microphone regarding the flights? I have nearly missed several flights when I have arrived at the airport 3 hours early all because I was unable to understand a word being said over the speakers about my flights. This is a huge problem for most deaf people and are they doing anything about it yet? It seems so unfair that deaf people like me have to pay for our flights but yet we don't get treated with respect when it comes to being able to understand when our flight is leaving. One time I even had to ask the attendant at the gate to let me know when my plane was boarding, by waving his hands and he forgot and I missed my plane. I was very impressed with the changes they made in the security area. I was so happy to see that they closed captioned information there on what can and can't be taken through there. The first time I have seen that was in December 2012, and I am so grateful for that. After all these years it was about time to do something there to help deaf people understand what is going on. The problems started when I had to walk through the security area., The guards were telling me what I had to do and I didn't understand or hear a word they were saying. They were very hard to lipread because they did not look straight at me when they spoke and they talked fast and pretty low also. So I just had to guess by using common sense and just saw what everyone else did to get through and did it that way. Is it possible for them to teach the people who work at security to use sign language for the deaf? What about putting more screens up right in front of the place where we have to put our things in the containers to be scanned and close caption what we have to do with simple directions? People like me are deaf, I cannot hear them at the security. Can the airport provide more help for the deaf people? My daughter is only 17, she shouldn't have to be the one to get me through the airport and on the plane on time every time I go. That really isn't fair to her. Please, I'm begging you to inform the Buffalo Airport to make life a little easier for the deaf to fly on a plane. Sincerely, Susana King

Deaf Lady traveling By Plane

So I haven't been inside an airport in a year. So I was traveling again for the holidays. Finally parked my car in the over packed parking lot and waited for a shuttle bus. It came pretty fast, it was so cold out. Once I sat down, the driver asked me a question, and I didn't understand or hear a word he said. Luckily my daughter took over and talked for me. He just wanted to know where we parked so we could remember how to get back to our car. He dropped us off at the airport entrance and said Merry Christmas, so I smiled and waved him off. We went inside to check in our bags. The lady standing in the front asked me a question and I didn't understand her either, so I told her to repeat it. She just wanted to know if I had my boarding pass and I said yes. By now, I was getting frustrated not being able to understand anyone that worked in this place. She gave me a smile when I told her I was deaf, so I felt a little better. Then we checked in our bags, and that lady waved us off. We head over to the security gate, and I was amazed to see something new hanging in air. There were a few overhead monitors that were closed captioned telling us what can and can't be put through the security area. And I said Yes! Finally the airport is doing something for deaf people. But they didn't do enough. It was time for me to check through my things and to walk through the security line. I didn't know when to walk through and what to do, I couldn't hear or understand what the people were saying to me at the security line. And I got nervous, I just did whatever the person in front of me did and walked through. Was glad it was over with and got my things and headed to the gate thinking everything is closed captioned now, oh I was so wrong. Made it to the gate, nothing was closed captioned there. The man at the gate was announcing over a microphone about when the flights were boarding and so on, I didn't understand a word he said. I saw them open the door for people to walk to the plane, but yet, I did not know when I was supposed to go in. He kept talking on that microphone I understood nothing. I couldn't even lipread because he had his mouth covered and he was going too fast. So I gave in and asked my daughter to direct me when it was time to get on the plane, and she did. Thank god for that. Ran into my chiropractor who happened to be on the same plane as us. Waved to him and he smiled and said a few words, couldn't hear him, it was too noisy on the plane. So I just waved to him and headed to my seat. So we sat down and then they were announcing something over the speakers and did some kind of demonstration and I heard and understood nothing. Plane finally takes off up into the air and I'm getting thirsty. But all they served was peanuts and cookies that looked like dog biscuits. They gave me one and I tossed it. Why on earth do they serve us junk when they make money off us and then they can't serve some decent snacks? They didn't even give us anything to drink on the whole flight. Not even bottled water. Anyway we made it safe to our destination. Now I am very disappointed in the airport, by now I thought they would of had more resources for the deaf to help them understand what was going on wit their flights. And there was nothing past the gate. Oh well, that's life for deaf people like me.

Sign for I Love You

Mariah Carey - Hero Lyrics (on screen)

Regal Access -- Glasses with Open Captions [HD]

Sign Language 101: Introduction

Suny Subtitle Glasses

 http://www.digitaltrends.com/lifestyle/sony-subtitle-glasses/

Interesting Article

http://www.hearinglossweb.com/Issues/Access/Captioning/Movies/movies.htm

I Love You in Sign Language

Deaf Lady going out to eat

           Here I am going out to eat with my family at a Chinese restaurant.     We look at the menu and decide what to order.   It's a Friday night, so the place is crowded and especially noisy.   My daughter already knows what I am ordering, it's always the same exact thing every time we eat Chinese food.     The waitress is standing behind me asking me what I would like to drink, and of course I didn't hear her at all.      So my mom apologizes to her and explains that I have a hearing problem.     Then I turn around and ask her to repeat it.    Well she is speaking very low, so I have to ask someone else what she said.     Finally I ordered a Shirley temple after I finally understood what she was saying.       Then it was time to order our food.      She asked me what I would like to eat, and I said Pineapple chicken.      Then she repeated after me, oh you want seafood rice?   At that point I just assumed she said  Pineapple chicken because that's what I wanted, and I couldn't hear her in that place, so I just wanted it over with, I was hungry and I said yes.     Half hour passes by, I spill my Shirley temple all over the table  because someone walked into my chair.     So I ordered another one and boy I was embarrassed.     I don't like to be messy but sometimes it just happens.  Finally our food arrives.    I can't wait to eat that chicken.       She gives me the seafood rice.   I said what is this?  Where's my dinner?    She says that's what you ordered, and I said not I didn't order that!   And she apologizes and takes it back and I have to wait another half hour for my food.    :(

Angels - Jessica Simpson [Lyrics]

Car Radio

          Even when people around me are aware I am deaf, I'm trying to describe deeper in depth what I can and can't hear, and it's hard to explain sometimes.    For example, if you turn on the radio in the car, and turn it up louder, people would assume I can hear it.     Yes, and no, I can tell it is louder, simply because I can feel the vibration coming the sounds of it, but the words are blurry, I will never understand words being said over a car radio, no matter how loud it is.   Even if the words are loud and clear, as if a speech was going on, I still would not make out what is being said.   With my hearing aids, it enables me to hear a lot of sounds, but I still cannot hear certain letters in words, etc.   This is why I rarely turn on my car radio, or even any kind of radio, does not work for me, and the same problem goes with music on it.    If it has a nice tone to it, I will  listen to it, but I will never understand the words in the song as it comes out like how static comes out in a radio, the words break up.  The only way I will be able to understand a song over a radio simply is if I already know the song.

Sign Language 101: Around the House

ABC Phonics Song - Full ASL Song Tutorial

Alphabet Letter Sounds (Phonics) Song and ASL alphabet (American - 'zee'...

Honesty-Billy Joel lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6NyOvgzG1o

VIdeo for learning words in SIgn Language

http://www.handspeak.com/word/index.php?dict=ca&signID=2923

He is signing the word Accept

SIgn Language Alphabet A B C...........

Little flying bluebird (ok so I am off the point now)

Okay, so this has nothing to do with my topic.    But I am in awe of that little bluebird, if only I can figure out how to get that bird posted on my blog that would be great, but I couldn't.   So I had to take the whole page and post it here, just so that I can watch this bird fly around.







http://www.online-wonders.blogspot.com/

How Deaf People Enjoy Music

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/11/011128035455.htm

I wrote this in the 1980's and it was published at N.T.I.D.

                                                       
                                                                 Get Out Of The Way


                                                            Hey, what has become of you

                                                                            move

                                                                   get out of my way

                                                                   get out of my life

                                                            don't show me your sad face
                                                             
                                                                  cause i won't care

                                                                      not right now

                                                                      that's enough

                                                                      leave me alone

                                                                     I don't need you

                                                                          no more

                                                                    I have my own life

                                                                    who need yours

                                                                         go away

                                                                       leave me alone 

                                                                 I love being on my own

                                                                        come on

                                                                 go find another friend

                                                                 I have my own friends

                                                                   I don't need you

                                                                   get out of the way

                                                               I don't want to see you

                                                                          no way

                                                                   I like my own life

                                                                     leave me alone

                                                                     hide your face

                                                                         get out

                                                                 I don't want to see you

                                                                        no more

                                                                     had enough

                                                                           of you

                                                                         leave me   

                                                                         go away

                                                        

                                                                                         

My Hearing Loss

            I have been over 75 percent deaf since the day I was born.   My mother had German measles when she was pregnant and she didn't know it.    That might be the reason why I was born deaf.   After I was born I didn't speak till after I was two years old, and the doctors told my parents that I could hear.     I wasn't diagnosed that I was deaf till I was over 2 years old.   That's when they got me hearing aids and I started to learn how to talk.      What does it sound like to me when I am not wearing the hearing aids?        Well, it's the same disappointing feeling as listening to your favorite song on the radio and having someone shut off when the song is not over and you wanted to hear the rest of it.  It goes silent and you don't hear any more of it.  And you want to keep listening to the song, but you can't, it's off, so you are feeling slightly disappointed.       When I am wearing the hearing aids, I can hear the t.v. but can't make out the words or conversation being said on it, I can hear music, but can't understand the words, I hear people talking, and can hear dogs barking if there are any dogs around, and can hear a lot of things which is good.        Once they are off, I really can't hear anything, the world sounds silent.  And if people are in the same room and talking, I won't hear any of it, unless I do a good job of lipreading the words.     If you were to be facing me in the same room, and wanted to talk to me, I would not hear your voice, just maybe a little bit echoing in the background.     The only way I would understand what you are saying is by lipreading the words,which I am a pro at.       The only way I'd be able to hear a little bit of your voice if you were to speak loudly right into my ears but barely.     I feel like I am missing out on what is going on around me in terms of sounds when my hearing aids are not on, so I am usually wearing them most of the time.    My hearing was always worst in my right ear than in my left, and there was no explanation for that either.     When I was born, I had close to a 75 % loss in my left ear, and over an 80% loss in my right ear.       According to my last most recent hearing test, I was told I had a 90 % hearing loss in both ears, as it has gotten worst I assume.     But I am not sure if that is accurate, I should go for another hearing test eventually to keep myself updated on that.

Red the cat

When I used to live in an apartment I used to have this special cat named Red.     He would let me know if someone was at the door or if the phone was ringing if I happened to be asleep.    Whenever there was knocking on my door he would run to the door like a dog, look at it, then he would run back to me and tap me on the shoulder with his paw and it would wake me up.  Then when he saw my eyes open he would look at me, then run back to the door to show me someone was there knocking.  It was so cute.  He thought he was a dog.   I can't hear the knocking or the phone ringing when I am not wearing my hearing aids, so he was there to help.  I've never had a cat like that before, he really made it easier for me for a while, till I had to give him away .     He did the same thing if the phone rang, he would make sure I was up to answer it, by tapping me and running back and forth to the phone.     That is one cat I will never forget, I didn't even have to train him.

How do I wake up on time if I can't hear the alarm clock?

 For a while I have tried setting the volume on my alarm clock at the top volume, hoping I would hear it.   But with my hearing aids off, it was very hard for me to hear it as soon as it went off.   It would be about ten to 20 minutes until I would hear a faint sound in the background then I would wake up, sometimes I wouldn't hear it at all.  But it would wake up my daughter constantly instead of me, and she would come running into my room yelling turn that thing off!  It's too loud and you woke up everyone in the whole building!    And I started to feel bad about that as I wouldn't want anyone to wake me up if I didn't have to be up early.     Now I am using a an alarm clock with a vibrator that I put under my pillow that works very well, and it gets me up right on time.

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