Travelling with Hearing Loss

Holidays are a wonderful opportunity to relax, unwind, discover new places and cultures, meet new people and more. If you have hearing loss, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t get every bit as much out of your trip as anyone else.

But there’s no question that hearing loss can make travel more complicated – whether it’s navigating airports and train stations, communicating in unfamiliar languages, going on guided trips or accessing emergency information.

If you’re travelling abroad, your biggest concerns are likely to be safety and communication. It can be a challenge in the UK when station and airport announcements come over the loudspeaker systems. But if you’re in a non-English-speaking country, there’s an extra barrier.

You’ll also want to consider how you can communicate effectively with accommodation or service staff, especially if they don’t speak or read English. And it’s key to know how to understand and follow emergency instructions.

Fortunately, with a few simple measures and a bit of forward planning, you should be able to travel confidently and independently.

Hearing Loss: The Size of the Problem

Hearing issues are remarkably common – 1 in 3 adults (over 18 million people) in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. Hearing loss gets more common with age – it affects over half of over 55s and 4 in 5 over 70s.

Importantly, it’s thought that 1.2 million UK adults find they cannot hear most conversations as a result of their hearing loss.

The majority of people with hearing loss will benefit from hearing aids, which these days are discreet and effective – a world away from the clunky, whistling devices of just a couple of decades ago.

However, about 20,000 people in the UK have cochlear implants, designed to improve their ability to hear and understand speech if they have severe or profound hearing loss affecting both ears, and hearing aids aren’t helping.

These aim to stimulate the hearing nerve directly using electrical signals, bypassing the damaged or non-functioning parts of your hearing system within the ear. You’ll need to follow a few extra precautions while travelling if you have cochlear implants.

Before You Travel

Get Your Checks and Documents in Order

If you’re wearing hearing aids, it’s a good idea to carry written documentation which you can show at security. You will definitely need this if you have cochlear implants (see below). So before you travel:

• Make an appointment with your audiologist to:
• • Have your ears examined for wax, which builds up more easily if you wear hearing aids, and any changes to your hearing or hearing aid needs
  • Get your hearing aid checked to ensure it’s functioning properly and to make any adjustments if your needs have changed
• Ask them for a summary of your condition and device
• Pack a supply of spare batteries or charging equipment

Get Insured

Hearing loss and deafness are considered pre-existing medical conditions. Even if you’re travelling in an area covered by the GHIC (formerly called the EHIC), it’s essential to take out travel insurance. Use a specialist provider such as Medical Travel Compared and make sure all medical conditions, including hearing loss, are declared. This avoids nasty (and very expensive) surprises caused by your policy being declared invalid.

Likewise, check the exact wording for your cover – for instance, if you’ve been loaned a spare processor for your cochlear implant, the company is likely to charge you if you lose it. Make sure your travel insurance covers this eventuality, as well as insurance for hearing aids if appropriate.

READ MORE: When To Buy Travel Insurance

Consider Your Destination

Hotels and holiday rentals vary greatly in the services and accommodations they provide for individuals with hearing loss. To ensure your needs are met, it’s a good idea to reach out directly to the property or consult your travel agent.

Here are a few key questions to ask:

• Whether staff can communicate via text message or translation apps
• How emergency information is provided
• Whether your venue offers visual alerts and alarm systems (eg some hotels offer flashing fire alarms or vibrating pillow pads)

Research Your Transport Provider

Under UK and EU law, transport providers are required to make “reasonable adjustments” to accommodate disabled passengers, including those with hearing loss. However, the interpretation and implementation of these adjustments vary significantly between companies, leading to inconsistencies in accessibility.

To ensure a smoother travel experience, consider consulting independent reviews and accessibility ratings before choosing a provider.

Sign Up To SignLive

If you use British Sign Language (BSL), you can use the SignLive app to connect for free with a BSL interpreter 24 hours a day via video link for calls with a wide range of UK organisations.

You can download the SignLive app free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once you’ve created an account, you can use the community directory to find venues and companies in the UK which can provide the BSL interpretation service through the app. Just select the service, click on it and tap ‘call’ (you’ll need a webcam). Organisations  include

• Airports – Heathrow and Edinburgh airports,
• Airlines – Air Lingus, British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2holidays, Tui
• Railways – Gatwick Express, Great Northern, GTR – Southern, Thameslink, Greater Anglia, Southeastern

Download Your Airline or Airport’s Mobile App

Many such apps will provide push notifications in text form. This can help you avoid anxiety (and missed planes) if your gate is changed at short notice.

Carry a Medical ID Card

This makes it easier if you lipread and want staff to lower their masks when speaking to you.

READ MORE: The Importance of Medical ID When Travelling

Let Your Airport Know if You Need Assistance

Give the airport at least 48 hours’ notice if you’re going to need assistance, which could include:

• Access to induction loops at check-in desks
• An escort through security and to your gate
• Notifications from staff of boarding announcements

If You Have Cochlear Implants

Ask your hospital service for a letter explaining that you wear a cochlear implant. This should also explain the process of wearing your implant through security from a safety perspective.

You may be able to apply to your cochlear implant provider for the loan of a holiday back-up kit, including a spare processor.

While You’re in Transit

Allow Plenty of Time

Plan your transfer to the airport in advance, taking into account any delays in trains, etc.

Inform Security Staff

Hearing aids are medical devices, and you are allowed to keep yours in place when going through airport security. However, it’s a good idea to let staff know before you go through the scanner. They won’t usually set off metal detectors in the scanner, but you can request a hand search if a security staff member does need to inspect them.

Do be aware that the magnetic scanners can sometimes distort sound or may cause brief discomfort. If you’re worried about this, you can turn off your device just while you pass through the scanner.

READ MORE: Ultimate Guide to Stress-Free Check-in

Keep Staff – and Yourself - Informed

When you’re on board, have a discreet word with cabin staff so they know that you may not hear announcements and, if you lipread, that they need to face you and speak clearly. Don’t forget to read the written safety instructions carefully if you can’t hear the verbal safety briefing clearly.

Make Use of Assistance

In the previous section, we outlined several forms of help, including requesting special assistance, using apps, etc. Don’t forget, in all the excitement, to use them on the day!

If You Have Cochlear Implants

At airport security, you’ll need to remove your speech processor and switch it off if you’re going to use the full-body scanner. These shouldn’t damage your sound processor or implant. You may want to ask for a hand-held scan instead, as the internal part of your implant may activate the alarm.

At Your Destination

Harness the Power of Technology

Apple has an inbuilt translation app if you have an iPhone. Alternatively, you can use the free Google Translate app to translate from English into a huge variety of languages, and for the person you’re communicating with to translate back. There are also live speech-to-text transcription apps, which you can use in combination with the translation option.

READ MORE: Best Health Apps For Managing Health Conditions

The Old-fashioned Approach

Don’t forget to carry a notepad (if you can’t or don’t want to use your phone) to communicate in writing.

Ask For Quiet

Remember that foreign accents, as well as lots of background noise, can make it harder to understand conversation. Restaurants and public places are often noisy, but staff may well be happy to offer the quietest table they have.

BSL is Largely British

BSL isn’t universal, and many countries have their own sign languages. However, International Sign is a simplified sign language which is recognised internationally.

Safety First

Do let staff know about you’re hearing loss on check-in.  Hopefully, you’ve followed our advice above and checked in advance with your destination about visual alerts and alarm systems, etc. But it’s still important to confirm when you arrive how they will alert you in an emergency.

If you’re in self-catering accommodation, consider buying a portable visual smoke alarm. Also check with them about accessing medical help in an emergency – they may be able to call on your behalf, or some countries have local emergency apps.

Having hearing loss shouldn’t impact your ability to enjoy your well-earned holiday. Plan ahead by ensuring you have all the necessary hearing aids, batteries, or accessories packed, and most importantly, don't be afraid to communicate your needs

With a bit of careful preparation before your trip and by staying mindful of safety measures during your stay, you can relax and have a worry-free experience.