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When the situation was not yet so tense, I went to visit my mother in the Netherlands. During the week and a half of my visit, the situation became more serious from day to day and I started to worry about my return flight. All the more so because my return flight was rebooked by the airline. When I tried to contact by phone the airline where I booked my flight, I could not get through. Since my mother does not have a phone with Bluetooth, I was forced to use the phones speakers, which in practice meant hours of “waiting music”. This melody is still playing in my head at the moment …
When the day before my return flight, even after I already checked in online, my return flight was cancelled again, but this time without alternative, I started to feel a little nervous. I could not reach the airline online, because they only stressed to call them for rebooking. Then I tried Facebook and sent them a message. And the airline actually answered within a few hours, but luckily I had found a Dutch phone number of the airline before, which I tried. After half an hour of waiting, including the irritating waiting music, it finally worked out and I could change my flight. As it turned out later, it was just in time.
I immediately told the airline employee I talked to on the phone that I was hearing impaired and asked if he could speak calmly and clearly. After that it was quiet for a few seconds, but he did his best, although I still had to ask for repetition a few times.

The airport was almost empty and I was the only passenger at the security. It was a little spooky…

But I have come home safely again and will stay at home and indoors for the time being!

As you probably noticed, I have tried to reach the airline in different ways. For people who are deaf or so severely hearing impaired that they can’t make a phone call, a message that you have to call this or that phone number when you have to change your reservation is of course frustrating. In such situations you see all the more that hearing impaired people are often forgotten. Therefore I would like to give you some tips.

* Many companies, institutions and authorities can be reached online, by email, chat, Whatsapp or via Facebook Messenger.
If nothing else works but to phone, then:
* there are various technical aids that can support you on the phone, like Bluetooth devices that can be connected to hearing aids/CI. There is also Skype, Whatsapp Video, and Facetime.
* There are different providers, such as Google, who subtitle the voice on Skype Video or other video apps. Unfortunately I don’t know about the quality of the subtitles.
* If also the technology is not sufficient, then there are still different interpreter services with which you can call independently. I will mention here some:
https://www.sorensonvrs.com/svrs
https://www.signvideo.co.uk/signvideo-for-deaf-employees/
https://rosesignlanguage.com/call-deaf-people/

Yet, in these times of (self-)isolation, I would like to offer you also corona-free topics in the near future … But for now, stay independent, creative, healthy and at home!