Wild Africa Trek and Hearing Loss

[joelarthurs]

Hi all, my wife and I are heading to WDW in September (yay free dining!) and we booked the Wild Africa Trek. I have a severe hearing loss where I cannot hear out of one ear at all and I use a hearing aid in the right ear. I understand there is some kind of headset that is worn during the tour. Is this an in-the-ear headset or is it more like earphones that go over the ear (I can manage with this kind). Also, if they are bluetooth headsets, my hearing aid is bluetooth compatible and I may be able to work with the cast members for this.

Does anyone know what kind of accommodations Disney offers for hearing impaired guests doing the Wild Africa Trek?

Thanks!

Joel

 

[Talking Hands]

This is best addressed by someone is Access for Guests with Disabilities. E-mail Maureen Hogan (Maureen.Hogan@disney.com). She should be able to find out the information for you. Also if you know sign language let her know that as well. The only one of the Safaris I've done is the Sunrise Safari many years ago and I had a sign language interpreter for it.

 

[seven dwarfs]

They have one device that has headphones with amplified wound and one device you can read. Each can be rented for a deposit that is returned from customer relations. The lady who set them up for us told us they would describe lots of things in the park and would be so great. They did not work for my daughter.

The only thing it did on the safari was the TV's in the beginning which have cc. When we turned the devices back in, we were informed that they didn't work anymore and should not have been given to us???? The flights of wonder show has a hearing device and it worked well. Just ask a CM that is working the show. It may be worth asking while in line to give the CM time to retrieve the device.

It was very frustrating to be honest. Some attractions have a book where you can read along with the attraction but they have not been updated in a long time and most are not accurate. We found the Lion King one to be ok.

My daughter said the device at MK just talked about all the food and shops. She said it made her hungry. She didn't want to rent it on the second day. Good Luck and I hope this helps.

Hi all, my wife and I are heading to WDW in September (yay free dining!) and we booked the Wild Africa Trek. I have a severe hearing loss where I cannot hear out of one ear at all and I use a hearing aid in the right ear. I understand there is some kind of headset that is worn during the tour. Is this an in-the-ear headset or is it more like earphones that go over the ear (I can manage with this kind). Also, if they are bluetooth headsets, my hearing aid is bluetooth compatible and I may be able to work with the cast members for this.

Does anyone know what kind of accommodations Disney offers for hearing impaired guests doing the Wild Africa Trek?

Thanks!

Joel

 

[Lindana]

Hi Joel! My husband took me on the Wild Africa Trek for my b-day in 2012-- the headsets we wore were over the ear. Not sure whether or not they were blue-tooth. I don't think they were, but not 100% positive.

Hope you enjoy your safari; it was definitely one of the coolest things I've done at Disney.

 

[ireland_nicole]

As lindana stated they were over ear- but I would ly the guide know about your hearing loss as well so they will be sure to look at you when talking etc. I found lip reading to be very helpful on the trek- have fun! I'm so glad we did it, def on my tip ten list of Disney experiences

 

[Talking Hands]

I would let Maureen know so she can school the guide on how to work with a person with a hearing loss. Having been on several tours prior to using interpreters I found that not all guides are willing to work with you. Ex. First tour the guide's brother was an interpreter and he signed and offered to sign anything I couldn't understand. Second tour guide was completely uncooperative. 3rd tour I had talked to the person who was in charge of disability access about the problems at a conference on deaf studies and he had me contact him prior to booking the tour and he made sure that the guide knew how to work with a person with a hearing loss. He was great. Since then my hearing has gotten to the point where I prefer an interpreter and sign language.
I have been interpreting myself for almost 15 years now and now can only interpret in a one on one situation or do music which is that I am familiar with. No more sermons and platform interpreting.