Some readers of this blog know that my wife, Deborah, has a severe hearing impairment – both ears. Deborah wears state-of-the-art hearing aids that are only somewhat helpful.
Unless you speak to her head-on, and then fairly slowly and clearly, the chances of her understanding what you are saying the first time around are negligible. Forget trying to be understood by yelling something from the next room.
My wife handles her disability with an extraordinary graciousness and patience, although that’s not to say she doesn’t often get frustrated and even angry at her hearing-befuddled state.
Deb’s one wish for the afterlife is that she will finally be able to hear like the rest of us--I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Travelling with a severe hearing impairment is obviously a challenge.
I have always encouraged my wife, when booking an air ticket on-line, to specify in the box provided that yes, she does have a disability, that she’s deaf, and yes, she does need assistance at the airport. (Most of us have trouble understanding airport and airline announcements, you can imagine that for her it’s a nonstarter).
So, enter United Airlines.
Last week my wife turned up at the United counter in Norfolk, Virginia, to check in for her flight.
United Airlines employee: Says here you have a disability. Do you need assistance?
Deb: Yes, I’m deaf.
Puzzled silence.
United Airlines employee (somewhat sullenly): Do you need assistance?
Deb: Yes, I have a severe hearing impairment.
United Airlines employee (now a little irritated): Do you need assistance?
Deb (sighing): Yes, it’s very difficult for me to hear anything. . .
United Airlines employee (obviously ready to move on): Do you need a wheelchair?
Enough said.
My cynical answer would have been “Yes, I most certainly do need a wheelchair, the hearing in both my ankles is not what it used to be.”
If this is the level of disability awareness in the corporate world, we have so much work to do that I don’t know where to begin.
Perhaps I could begin by reminding United that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities, and that being close to completely deaf certainly makes Deb a person with a disability.
Earth to United: Here’s what your employee should have said:
“Ok, it says here that you’re deaf. What can we do to help you? How about you stay as close to the counter as possible, and whenever there’s an announcement, either come over to me, or I’ll come to you, and tell you what we said.”
Nah, too complicated.
Much easier to offer the wheelchair.
