80% of hotels fail to meet basic needs of deaf people

Fireco Ltd, manufacturers of Deafguard, the wire-free solution for communicating the sound of the fire alarm to deaf and hard of hearing people, claim in a new survey that thousands of hotel guests with hearing difficulties are being treated like an underclass and that 80% of hotels fail to meet their basic needs.To coincide with the second anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, Fireco Ltd surveyed 215 hotels across all star ratings with a minimum of 15 rooms and the results were enlightening. Managers were asked if reception staff were trained in basic British Sign Language enabling them to communicate with a deaf or hard of hearing guest and only 6% were able to answer yes.

Only 11% of the hotels had a loop system installed, only 17% had text TV and when asked what equipment they had for deaf and hard of hearing in the event of fire while they were sleeping, only 27% had facilities prepared. The DDA requires reasonable adjustment to be made, and when all the above amenities are lacking deaf people cannot help but feel they are being treated as second-class guests, despite paying exactly the same rates as others.

It is estimated that hoteliers are missing £193m of potential business by not accommodating deaf and hard of hearing people.

Found at -->The Deaf Blog