SHHH Support Group (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People)

RE: {SHHH Support Group} Inflight experiences - seeking your comment

Amicus <ami...@iinet.net.au>

Hi Nicole,

I'd love to see improvements for HOH on board planes.

All those points mentioned need looking at and procedures put in place for
both staff and the HOH to follow when boarding a plane.

Mostly would love to see captioning on programs/movies as often I can't
follow the movie and end up very bored or just reading.

With the safety demos I found that I've always had to have a read through
the pamphlet they give you because I can't always follow the demo, can only
see them waving their arms around! And often the seats are too high and
can't see over them anyway to follow the demo. Hehe

Also, the travelling with carers is a big one for me, I don't like to travel
alone, just in case I miss some important emergency instruction while I'm on
board the plane, I get very anxious if there was to be an emergency
situation and had to act quickly that I would be lost as the airline
attendants aren't aware of my hearing loss.

Thanks,
Scrnuch.

-----Original Message-----
From: SHHHgroups@googlegroups.com [mailto:SHHHgroups@googlegroups.com] On

Behalf Of s...@netspace.net.au
Sent: Tuesday, 23 June 2009 9:54 AM
To: SHHH Support Group (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People)
Subject: {SHHH Support Group} Inflight experiences - seeking your comment

Hi SHHH Googlegroupers,

An update from Deafness Forum-

Deafness Forum participates in a working group where we are working with
government, airline and airport industry representatives to improve aviation
access for people who are Deaf, Deafblind, have a hearing impairment, or a
chronic disorder of the ear.

We are seeking your comments on in flight travel (that is when you get on
the plane, not about the airport itself) for some upcoming meetings in July.

This might include
- captioning of programs/movies
- safety demos/explanations
- emergency instructions
- assistance animals
- exit row seating
- travelling with carers or independently
- communication with flight attendants
- other alerts or information on board that you cannot hear
- other

If you have any examples, good or bad, of in flight experiences, please let
me know by 7 July 2009.

We are covering airports in a separate meeting and I can seek feedback about
that another time. Please limit your comments only to when you are on board
the plane.

Please feel free to pass this message on to others who might have an
interest in providing comments.

I hope to hear from you so we can try to improve the in flight experience in
future.

Regards

Nicole Lawder
Chief Executive Officer
Deafness Forum of Australia

218 Northbourne Avenue
Braddon ACT 2612

phone 02 6262 7808
TTY 02 6262 7809
Fax 02 6262 7810
Mob 0404 037 177

email nicole.law...@deafnessforum.org.au