Saturday, February 2, 2013

Delta Airlines Didn't Provide Me Any Services as a Deaf Passenger

delta-sucks On Saturday December 22, 2012 I arrived at the airport in the early afternoon to take a flight into Detroit Michigan with my daughter. First thing we did was park and board the shuttle bus in the airport. Yes, I told the shuttle bus driver I was deaf because he was asking me where to drop me off. The driver didn't follow me, and he continued to talk and not look at me so I didn't understand a word he said. Therefore my daughter had to speak for me. And I never heard the rest. Then we went to check in our bags. As soon I gave the lady my license at the check in counter to check us in, I told her I was deaf. Listen, I can't read minds, but the first impression I got was she gave me a very disturbing look as if she was pressured and uncomfortable as she didn't know what to do since I was deaf. Then to cover up that look she smiled. She did not hand me any pamphlets or brochures with any information on any help for deaf passengers that the airport might have to help me. Therefore I assumed the airport had nothing. I looked at her hopelessly, after 40 years of flying, I thought she might have something to help me in the airport as a deaf passenger. Nope, she gave me my license back and gave me a big smile as if I was cool because I was deaf. Have a nice day is all said. She was a very nice lady, but since she worked there, she should have referred me to whatever services the airport had to offer for deaf passengers. No, she didn't, and I knew nothing about their services. Then we proceeded to the Security Checkpoint area. This is when I get nervous because after 40 years of flying, I have never been able to understand the guards in this section of the airport. There were closed captioned screens above us, about three of them. This is the first time I saw them and I applaud the airport for finally putting those up. These things were fantastic for the deaf. But there was still a problem. I didn't see anyone using sign language that worked in the Security Area, so I did my best to lip read. The worst part was walking through the booth and putting your arms up as they scan you because they tell you to look straight ahead at the wall instead of the person that is checking you through. Therefore I couldn't even lip read or understand what that guard was saying. I just pray to god, I don't do the wrong thing when not hearing what the guards are telling me to do there. This is the most difficult part. When are the airports going to notify the guards in the security area that they have a deaf passenger going through and needs someone there to use sign language to tell them how to proceed through? Believe me, I had to go through this for 40 years of not understanding what is going on. Same old story, but my daughter would be there to save me in case I said or did the wrong thing. I was worried that the security guards might think I wasn't following their directions if I didn't hear what they told me to do. Well if your airport had trained some of your staff sign language to help the deaf, why didn't you provide me with that help when I was there? Why didn't you send me any information on this, or put in the paper, or on commercials on t.v. I never knew what help you had there. You never told me about it. Oh wait, you have your information on the websites? What websites? Where? My computer broke down, I can't get online to find anything. As a matter of fact I don't always use the internet. So how am I going to find out about your deaf services if I don't use the internet? Where are the answers? How was I supposed to know you had information online? Where do I find it? So you have phone numbers to call there? What numbers? I can't hear on the phone, and I don't use the TTY. And when I tried to call the Delta Airlines in Dec. for help on my Caption Call phone, their line was always busy, or some recording kept going on it. I could never get through to you! So you have a website for deaf passengers at the Delta Airlines? Are you kidding me? Why do you tell me this after my flight is over? Why didn't you notify me before I arrived at that airport so we could make some kind of arrangements. Sorry but your lack of awareness in ways notifying people about your deaf services is very poor. Anyway I made it through the security safe this time with no problems. Knock on Wood. images (5) We head to our gate. I've read in the papers that airports now provide captioned monitors at the gates. So I couldn't wait to see this newest invention because I never saw this before. Well when we got to gate, there was nothing there. No closed captioning monitors, no screens, no pamphlets for the deaf to look at for information on where to get help. All there was the desk and the door to the plane and our empty seats. The gate attendant made a number announcements over the microphone. I didn't understand a word of any of them. Now I was sitting here worried I was going to miss my plane because I didn't know when we were supposed to go on. On a few occasions I asked the gate attendant to wave to me when I was supposed to board my plane. Well, that didn't help because the gate attendant forgot to wave to me, and I nearly missed that plane. Sitting at the gate I was feeling miserable. After 40 years, why didn't they make any thing better for the deaf passengers? Why do I have to keep suffering this way. Is it too much to ask for to have them satisfy our communication needs by putting up a closed captioned monitor at our gates? It would be nice, then I could just read the words about when it's time to board our plane. They didn't have that on Dec. 22, 2012 when I was there. My day at the airport was making me quite miserable. If my daughter wasn't with me, I don't know what I would have done. I don't feel comfortable asking strangers at the gate to tell me anything. Usually they don't understand me when I tell them I am deaf and to please tell me when I have to board the plane. They look upset, like they don't want to be bothered, and I don't want to bother them. They probably don't know anything about how to communicate with deaf people, so I can understand where they are coming from. Usually I would just keep asking the gate attendant if my plane is boarding, but the gate attendant is usually too busy with the passengers and checking their tickets. So I am stuck. My daughter told me it was time to go on board, so I followed her. plane Once we got settled into our seats there were a few announcements being made over the speakers. I didn't understand any of them. Then before take off they did a safety demonstration with the lady upfront showing us the safety features of the airplane. I was sitting in the back, I didn't understand one word being said. And I couldn't see her or what she was doing. So that went on and at first I didn't even know they were doing it because I couldn't hear it over the microphone. My daughter told me. Why couldn't she have used sign language? Why wasn't there a closed captioned monitor at my seat? I wish there was one, so that way I could read what they were telling us about the safety demonstrations. Believe me, for 40 years, I had to sit through these safety demonstrations not hearing any of it and not understanding what to do. So if anything happened, I wouldn't know how to save myself on the plane. I would probably just copy what someone else does if there is an emergency. You figured after 40 years of flying I would know what to do if there was a plane emergency. Nope I have no idea what to do, because they did not close caption the demonstrations and they didn't use any sign language. So I didn't hear any of it in 40 years, and I have been on the plane a 1000 times. Well I was dying for a drink. Well the flight attendant never walked by to ask if I needed anything. All I needed was a nice cold drink to make up for this miserable experience. And I didn't get served any water or anything. Then we landed and I went to spend Christmas with my family in Michigan. Yes, It told them about this lousy experience and they sympathized with me. Wasn't there some law out that is supposed to protect the deaf passengers at airport to accommodate them to their needs? Well the Delta Airlines did nothing for my communication needs on Sat. Dec. 22nd.

4 comments:

  1. Sorry you did not have a positive experience.

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    1. Thanks Kim. I'm hoping they will make changes next time I go back there. :)

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  2. Yes, I do hope they make a lot of good changes the next time you go there. Always bring with you your daughter. Have a nice day!

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    1. Thanks me too. I would be so lost without her! Have a great day!

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