What deaf travelers need to know before taking a trip
, 2022-11-23 04:12:28,
Editor’s note: This is part of a series on health and accessibility issues for holiday season travelers.
From visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to the frozen beauty of Iceland, Sheila Xu has traveled the world, and aims to bring it closer together, especially for people who, like herself, are deaf.
“I was born profoundly deaf in both ears to two hearing parents,” said Xu. “I recently learned that my deafness is a recessive genetic condition, with one copy from each parent.”
Xu is a fulltime student working on her dual master’s of public policy and master’s of business administration, studying both at Harvard Kennedy School and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, Xu holds a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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After graduate school, Xu aims to build partnership between the public and private sector, to create equitable and economic opportunities for the deaf communities.
Xu wants to break down barriers for marginalized deaf communities in the U.S. and the world. Although Xu has journeyed throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S., Xu has found much to improve upon for deaf travelers.
“A truly accessible and inclusive travel experience for the deaf in the travel industry has still a long way to go, and we are not there yet,” Xu said. For example, airlines and airports need to redesign their system to…
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