Traveling Vegas with a hearing loss.
Whether you live in the City of Lights or are just passing through, the options for entertainment are unsurpassed and unmissable. To accommodate the large influx of visitors to Las Vegas, the city has a comprehensive system of accessibility, from assistive listening devices (ALDs) to telecommunications devices (TDD).
At the McCarran International Airport, TDD payphones are available in the terminals, as well as visual paging on Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) for travelers who are hard of hearing. Most hotels and live entertainment venues are equipped with technology that meets standards set by the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act.
Most Vegas venues might benefit from installing induction loop systems, which significantly increase accessibility for people with hearing impairment. Induction loop systems consist of a copper wire that surrounds a venue, usually installed in the floor or ceiling of a space. This wire transmits sound from the venue’s PA system directly to the telecoil of a hearing aid, via electromagnetic waves. The sound received in the hearing aid is clear and undisturbed by the external noises of an audience member’s environment. This is especially useful in larger venues with more challenging acoustics, such as a concert hall or casino.
In recent years, there has been a nation-wide push by local chapters of the Hearing Loss Association of America to campaign venues in their cities and towns to install hearing loops in public spaces. For example, in New York City, ticket booths at busy transportation hubs and windows of bank tellers are equipped with hearing loops, to better assist people who are hard of hearing.
If you or someone you know are hard of hearing, consider encouraging your favorite public venues to install a hearing loop. In the meantime, here are some resources on hearing accessibility in Las Vegas spaces.
Hotels.
According to the Las Vegas Advisor travel guide, “When it comes to catering to deaf and hearing impaired visitors, Las Vegas seems to be fairly proactive…TDD phone devices are generally available and both the Westin and Planet Hollywood, for example, informed us that they have special rooms with doorbells that set off flashing lights” and “also provide rooms with beds that vibrate to alert you if you have a phone message.” Most hotels have rooms that accommodate people with hearing impairment. The Wyndham Hotel in Las Vegas is the only one fitted with a hearing loop in both hotel rooms and meeting rooms. Hotels such as the Hilton and Excalibur offer TDD devices as well as visual alarm and notification devices for the doorbell and incoming telephone calls.
Casinos
For the folks who love cards, Las Vegas Advisor notes that “the Wynn has two deaf blackjack dealers who know American Sign Language (one of whom also deals roulette) and Planet Hollywood also has one who deals three card poker.” They advise to call the casinos beforehand if you would like to play with a dealer who can sign.
Venues and auditoriums.
Las Vegas has countless live entertainment venues, and most offer ALDs in the form of infrared or FM technology, which amplifies sound for people who are hard of hearing. The Colossus at Caesars Palace, an enormous live music performance space, offers ALDs free of charge for their performances. Several travel guides instruct guests with hearing impairment to visit the customer service desks at the entrance of a showroom or lounge to pick up an ALD. For a smaller, more intimate cultural experience, The Smith Center, located at 361 Symphony Park Ave., offers ALDs for their musical performances as well as live-captioning for select theatrical performances. For a fine art-house film, visit the Regal Village Square Stadium 18 movie theatre, located at 9400 W. Sahara Ave., a hearing looped venue.
Are you or a loved one experiencing hearing loss? At Desert Valley Audiology, we offer comprehensive audiological services at our conveniently located practices in Las Vegas, Tenaya and Henderson. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our audiologists.