Top 5 Tips for Deaf Solo Travel

There I was, entering China for the first time, and standing in a line awaiting my turn to pass through Customs. Suddenly, from my hearing aid I hear, “Low battery.” I could feel panic rushing over me like a dam bursting.

Step One: Take a deep breath. Step Two: Consider your options.

Traveling overseas alone can be daunting. On the surface, solo travel as a Hard of Hearing (HoH) individual might seem exponentially challenging.

Still, as I told my best friend before embarking on my last trip, the communication barrier doesn't scare me because I am fluently deaf in all languages.

While being nearly deaf has its moments of frustration, it's not as difficult as it seems. This blog post aims to curb some of the anxiety one might feel when considering traveling alone with diminished hearing. Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it.

In the case of my dying battery upon arrival to the Middle Kingdom, I opted to wait it out. A battery usually has at least another 10 minutes of juice in it from the time it warns you. The line in front of me was four people deep and I gambled that I would make it through on the ebbing power of my size 13 Energizer.

My reasoning was this; a desperate rifling through my backpack within sight of the customs officer would likely lead to suspicion of something more nefarious than a dead hearing aid. The thought of explaining why I searched my luggage in a sheer panic – with a vocabulary limited to five words in Mandarin – made the gamble worth taking.

As I cleared immigration my battery did indeed fail. Still, I'd already answered the questions asked of me and shown my documents. So, much as I do at home when I can't hear, I faked the last minutes of the interaction by smiling, nodding, and following others.

In the past seven months I have solo traveled to China and Tanzania. I have hiked the Great Wall, gone on photo safari, rode an overnight train one thousand miles across China, danced with the Maasai, and changed planes eight times (in six different countries) to do so. Being HoH doesn't really slow me down much.

Before setting out on these adventures I do a lot of research. I'm not only concerned with the sights to see or the restaurants to dine at. The bulk of my reading centers on details of each location I'll visit, my lodgings, and the local cultures. Below are are some very practical tips for HoH or Deaf solo travelers:

1. Source easily understood translations for key phrases like “I am deaf,” or “Please show where it is.” Print out these phrases (PRO tip: for China, you'll need the phrases printed in Chinese characters) and keep them on you. Bonus points if you create laminated cards with everything from “How much is this?” to “I am injured. Need to go to hospital.”

2. Contact locals before your trip. Find reputable guides with good communication skills or ex pats, living in the exact areas you want to visit. Good guides can be found via many travel websites (PRO tip: Actually READ the reviews – all of them) and many ex pats living abroad have blogs. These folks are usually thrilled to help by answering a few questions. They may also be willing to be there for you, if the need arises, in case of an emergency. Remember, though, they have lives there and can't be expected to drop everything just for your vacation.

3. Have your destinations planned and know how to get to each one. I start with Google Maps. I zoom in on the map as tight as I can and look carefully at the streets and buildings around my lodging or sights I wish to visit. Sometimes, folks will post their pictures of the locations and I study those, too. Again, travel websites have some detailed descriptions of areas – both in their listings and in the reviews from travelers. Understanding the geography of a city or location is vital to being self sufficient in planning transportation. For example, in Tanzania I had to tell the taxi driver the neighborhood name as many of the streets in Moshi didn't actually have names or address numbers.

4. As with the destinations, knowing the layout of airport terminals is vitally important. Many airports offer terminal maps for download through their websites or apps. One thing being HoH or Deaf brings to the table is an acute awareness that you will not hear public announcements. With some research you can easily know where gates are located and, via reader boards, you can cross reference flights with boarding gates. Don't hesitate to approach counter staff and show them your ticket (PRO Tip: Many airlines offer special services for HoH and Deaf fliers. Check their web pages for information).

5. Safety is priority Number One. One thing you must do while traveling alone is heighten your situation awareness abilities. I fall back on my military training for this, but it's easy to hone your awareness before an overseas trip. Start with people watching near home. Pick up on visual cues, body language, facial expressions and see if you can spot telling signs of anger, sadness, fear, consternation or other emotions. Try to become comfortable blending in and being observant. Next, take great care and time to look around before walking along roads or crossing streets. Traffic patterns and operations are different abroad, and pedestrians don't have an anointed right-of-way – even in crosswalks. Vehicles are a physical hazard and deserve the extra moment or two of caution. Remember, it pays to know where you are and where you are headed at all times.

Along with the above tips, prior to the trip, it's important to know what is expected of you for different activities. Knowing that you'll need your reservations printed out, passport presented for them to make a photocopy, and possibly a cash deposit in local currency helps smooth out hotel check-ins in China. Knowing that photography of military equipment or any bridges in Tanzania is forbidden is helpful. To find these things out you have to do some searching online or in print. Use your government's travel websites and those of your destinations to learn about current rules for visitors. The key is to minimize the possibility of an antagonized communication situation.

Still, if the worst case scenario happens make sure you have contact information for your country's consulate at the ready and know how to contact them directly. In the U.S. the Department of State offers the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which gives citizens access to their consulate office – directly – via email (including travel alerts for your destinations). It's a good resource to have handy for medical, legal, financial or passport theft emergencies.

Knowledge is power, and with solid prep work any travel is possible. Of course these few rules and tips can't cover everything you need to know, but it's a good starting point. When I first started planning for Tanzania I sought out blogs about solo deaf travel for the piece of mind that knowing a few tricks can bring.

Things like great travel apps (PRO Tip: Make sure they work both on and offline), bringing vibrating alarm clocks/watches, or asking for an aisle seat on airplanes are also helpful.

Mainly, travel (for anyone) goes smoothly and is most enjoyable if you can adapt to new circumstances and find the humor in minor setbacks. Luckily for those of us in the HoH/Deaf community, we've got that part down – 100 percent!

*I am fully deaf in my right ear and profoundly HoH in my left ear due to Meniere's Disease (diagnosed in 2004). I wear a hearing aid in my hearing ear, which has traveled to seven countries (on four continents) this year alone. Upcoming blog posts will detail the “how-to” of my travels to both Tanzania and China, along with more tips for solo travel. Please subscribe to my blog. Cheers!