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the right thing to do but is profitable and solidifies our loyalty to their chain of hotels .”
Melissa offered a few key points for businesses within the tourism & hospitality space to keep in mind when interacting with deaf and hard of hearing guests :
- Make eye contact - This makes people feel addressed and respected . Deaf and hard of hearing people especially need good eye contact since they are reading your face while communicating with you . beings just want to be able to communicate with each other for the short time we are together here on this big floating rock we call Earth . With today ’ s technology and knowledge in the accessibility space , there is simply no more room for excuses .
Some resources for upping your accessibility game :
- Be flexible and willing to communicate in a variety of ways - Communication does not fit all tidy in a box . There is no one way to communicate . It ’ s important to be open and flexible to receiving information in a variety of ways . That might mean writing back and forth , gesturing , using sign language , speaking clearly , using speech to text apps . Be creative . Experiment with communication . Think of communication as being fluid . It changes from one person to the next .
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable - People of all kinds are going to approach you . They are going to communicate differently . They are going to look differently . Their energy is going to be different . The more you can learn to work with your own discomfort , the less it is projected onto your guests .
A key takeaway here is that one size does not fit all . No two people with hearing loss are alike , and to label them as so does an injustice . Preferences for methods of communication are quite individual , just as we as human beings are each different in our own way . Communication , along with food and shelter , is a basic human need . I think at the end of the day we as human
Trailblazers in the Providing Accessible experiences for their guests :
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines : www . royalcaribbean . com