Miss-Delectable
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Why there's little room at the inn for deaf guests - Daily Features - Features - Belfast Telegraph
Being labelled disabled and forced to sleep in a specially designated room is not the answer. Deaf people value their privacy and individuality as much as hearing folk and portable-alerting devices may be the answer.
Fireco Ltd, manufacturers of Deafguard, the wire-free solution for communicating the sound of the fire alarm to deaf and hard of hearing people, claim in a new survey that thousands of hotel guests with hearing difficulties are being treated like an underclass and that 80% of hotels fail to meet their basic needs.
With support from Fireco, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People is organising seminars around the country demonstrating to hotel representatives how simple and inexpensive changes to processes and equipment can make deaf guests feel more welcome. The Belfast event will be held in the Malone Lodge Hotel on Tuesday, March 27, and I had a chat about it last Friday with two of the RNID staff.
We talked about my recent two-night stay at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin and the changes that have already taken place there after recent refurbishment. All bedrooms now have flat screen televisions with subtitles and, in addition to the usual 'Do not disturb' and other such notices hanging on the outside doorknob, a new bright red one has been supplied notifying that the occupant of the room is disabled in some way and would need help in the event of a fire or similar calamity.
This is an encouraging step forward in deaf awareness. But is it enough? Would it really help during the panic and confusion of a genuine emergency? The RNID maintain that to ensure deaf people can sleep safely, hotels need to have smoke alarms suitable for people with a hearing loss. Most deaf people take their hearing aid out at night, making them less likely to hear a normal fire alarm, so flashing alarms and vibrating under-pillow pads are a better solution.
It was also suggested that deaf guests would feel less vulnerable and more at ease in their rooms if they had some positive means of knowing someone was at the door and trying to gain admittance. A friend may call, or room service may be delivered and even loud knocking may not be heard. Being labelled disabled and forced to sleep in a specially designated room is not the answer. Deaf people value their privacy and individuality as much as hearing folk and portable-alerting devices may be the answer.
To coincide with the second anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, Fireco Ltd surveyed 215 hotels across all star ratings with a minimum of 15 rooms and the results were enlightening. Managers were asked if reception staff were trained in basic British Sign Language enabling them to communicate with a deaf or hard of hearing guest and only 6% were able to answer yes.
Only 11% of the hotels had a loop system installed, only 17% had text TV and when asked what equipment they had for deaf and hard of hearing in the event of fire while they were sleeping, only 27% had facilities prepared. The DDA requires reasonable adjustment to be made, and when all the above amenities are lacking deaf people cannot help but feel they are being treated as second-class guests, when we pay exactly the same rates as others.
Hotel staff may not understand how isolated we can feel - deafness cuts us off from things and it's even more important for us to have a room with a view. Evelyn and I once booked in at one of our top NI hotels and only found out in the morning that a brick wall was all we could see from our window. Sometimes by paying a little extra a much better room with a splendid view is available - but communication problems may mean it's not always easy for deaf people to know about these offers.
It is claimed hoteliers are missing £193m of potential business by not accommodating deaf and hard of hearing people. The solution may be in their own hands.
Being labelled disabled and forced to sleep in a specially designated room is not the answer. Deaf people value their privacy and individuality as much as hearing folk and portable-alerting devices may be the answer.
Fireco Ltd, manufacturers of Deafguard, the wire-free solution for communicating the sound of the fire alarm to deaf and hard of hearing people, claim in a new survey that thousands of hotel guests with hearing difficulties are being treated like an underclass and that 80% of hotels fail to meet their basic needs.
With support from Fireco, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People is organising seminars around the country demonstrating to hotel representatives how simple and inexpensive changes to processes and equipment can make deaf guests feel more welcome. The Belfast event will be held in the Malone Lodge Hotel on Tuesday, March 27, and I had a chat about it last Friday with two of the RNID staff.
We talked about my recent two-night stay at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin and the changes that have already taken place there after recent refurbishment. All bedrooms now have flat screen televisions with subtitles and, in addition to the usual 'Do not disturb' and other such notices hanging on the outside doorknob, a new bright red one has been supplied notifying that the occupant of the room is disabled in some way and would need help in the event of a fire or similar calamity.
This is an encouraging step forward in deaf awareness. But is it enough? Would it really help during the panic and confusion of a genuine emergency? The RNID maintain that to ensure deaf people can sleep safely, hotels need to have smoke alarms suitable for people with a hearing loss. Most deaf people take their hearing aid out at night, making them less likely to hear a normal fire alarm, so flashing alarms and vibrating under-pillow pads are a better solution.
It was also suggested that deaf guests would feel less vulnerable and more at ease in their rooms if they had some positive means of knowing someone was at the door and trying to gain admittance. A friend may call, or room service may be delivered and even loud knocking may not be heard. Being labelled disabled and forced to sleep in a specially designated room is not the answer. Deaf people value their privacy and individuality as much as hearing folk and portable-alerting devices may be the answer.
To coincide with the second anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, Fireco Ltd surveyed 215 hotels across all star ratings with a minimum of 15 rooms and the results were enlightening. Managers were asked if reception staff were trained in basic British Sign Language enabling them to communicate with a deaf or hard of hearing guest and only 6% were able to answer yes.
Only 11% of the hotels had a loop system installed, only 17% had text TV and when asked what equipment they had for deaf and hard of hearing in the event of fire while they were sleeping, only 27% had facilities prepared. The DDA requires reasonable adjustment to be made, and when all the above amenities are lacking deaf people cannot help but feel they are being treated as second-class guests, when we pay exactly the same rates as others.
Hotel staff may not understand how isolated we can feel - deafness cuts us off from things and it's even more important for us to have a room with a view. Evelyn and I once booked in at one of our top NI hotels and only found out in the morning that a brick wall was all we could see from our window. Sometimes by paying a little extra a much better room with a splendid view is available - but communication problems may mean it's not always easy for deaf people to know about these offers.
It is claimed hoteliers are missing £193m of potential business by not accommodating deaf and hard of hearing people. The solution may be in their own hands.