Interpretive accommodations for National Park Service visitors who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing

Abstract

The National Park Service (NPS) works to protect natural and cultural landscapes for the American people. Part of achieving their mission includes providing the best possible services to visitors, including interpretive services. The goal of interpretation is to increase the visitor’s enjoyment and understanding of the parks. It is stated that the “NPS will ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that persons with disabilities receive the same interpretive opportunities as non-disabled persons, in the most integrated setting possible” (National Park Service, 2005-2011, section VIII.I, para. 1). About 7.6 million people in the U.S. (3.1%) experience a hearing difficulty, “defined as experiencing deafness or having difficulty hearing a normal conversation, even when wearing a hearing aid." Many national park units experience high visitation, yet provide varying levels of accessibility offered for interpretive services. This study provides an overview of the interpretive accommodations currently provided to NPS visitors who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (HoH) through a survey of national park units. Results show that most park units do provide some form of interpretive accommodations for visitors who are d/Deaf or HoH. Many park units have also completed accessibility assessments, which have been used to guide the provision of accommodations for visitors with disabilities, including visitors who are d/Deaf or HoH. Still, results also indicated that many park units perceived their unit was not sufficiently meeting the needs of visitors who are d/Deaf or HoH, and many respondents felt that their unit should be doing more. This along with a high overall survey response rate v suggests something other than an attitudinal barrier to ensuring non-hearing visitors and hearing visitors have similar interpretive experiences. Respondents indicated that barriers to providing interpretive accommodations included budget and staffing constraints, competing priorities for general and interpretive budgets and staff time, lack of knowledge or familiarity with possible services used by visitors who are d/Deaf or HoH, and limited knowledge of legal responsibilities or guidelines pertaining to visitors who are d/Deaf or HoH.