Deaf travelers, hikers etc

[greybrick]

What sort of things might become a safety issue for a deaf hiker which may not be thought of by a hearing trail guide or camping leader? Thanks.

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[WFTW]

I think most could be overcome by going over basic hand and arm signals. The only other thing would be for the guide to always stay in front because it the deaf hiker won't hear commands to stop if he's about to enter a dangerous area, or if everyone else behind him stops, he may keep going, which could also be a bad thing.

 

[1leglance]

Like so many things in life the answer is "it depends"
We actually had a hearing impaired young lady in our 4wd group for a while and radio comm was her big challenge (we were working on mobile wifi and laptop when she sold her rig)...she overcame this by having a passenger run the radio that she could sign to...

In a hiking situation...
with a group the concern would be trail info and alerts....but hand gestures (stop quick -snake/bear/big cat) and facing the person for lip reading would help...
Solo the trouble is wildlife (rattles, snarls, roars and such), rockslides, oncoming vehicles like bikes, atv's and such and those things we take for granted....

Lastly I ask if this is for you, someone you know or just a general question....and do you need more info as I would be willing to research more and contact hearing impaired resource groups if needed.

thanks