To Whom it May Concern
I am writing to let you know about the lack of accessibility on most
cruise lines for persons who are hard of hearing. Most particularly
lacking are: closed captioning on the TV sets in the cabins and the
public areas, Induction loop systems in the entertainment areas for
people to use with their hearing aids in T-coil mode, flashing and/or
vibrating fire alarms in addition to audible, and emergency
instructions not being provided in a manner that hard of hearing
people can understand.
I have only cruised on the Disney line, and felt I missed out on many
of the what could have been enjoyable entertainment experiences and
lectures. I have a cochlear implant and had to ask my husband what was
being said or sung. Additionally, lines like Disney have many children
and families as passengers. This accessibility for children might
encourage more parents with deaf or hard of hearing children to talk a
cruise. I was able to arrange for a TTY and room alarm devices (
doorbell, alarm clock, etc. ) However in the area of entertainment, I
missed out an a lot.
Thank you for your attention to this situation as I believe there are
many safety hazards on cruise ships for persons who are hard of
hearing and deaf.
Susan Mitloff
Hearing Loss Association of Sarasota, Fl