GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For many of us, a trip to the airport can be a stressful experience, but for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, travel comes with it's own set of challenges.
The Gerald R. Ford Airport has recently implemented new technology to provide more access to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing so that they are given the tools to travel with the same convenience as the rest of us.
Nancy Piersma, who is Deaf, said, “Being Deaf, it's very hard to hear everything going on, and it is not the same as what hearing people hear. There’s a big lack of information on the airline schedule to know when a flight arrives or departs or changes — or what the speaker had to say about the weather, delay, or emergency. That is what is hard for the Deaf, Deaf Blind, and Hard of Hearing. It causes us high anxiety or stress.”
People like Nancy are who inspired GRR to implement sign language boards throughout the airport.
“Now there's a way to communicate these basic messages that everybody else hears over the PA system,” J.J. Swain, IT Manager at GRR, said.
GRR is one of the first airports in the country to test these AI-driven sign language boards. “We can feed just about any text in that we need for flight information,” Swain said.
As a result of this new technology, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing can now receive airport messages in their native language, leaving Nancy very grateful, and more at ease.
“I would like to see more of Deaf, Deaf Blind and Hard of Hearing be able to enjoy trips and feel accessible in their travel," Nancy said. "I am happy that AI is trying to accommodate us to have the accessibility to travel independently. I really appreciate them.”
Gerald R. Ford started testing this technology with the FLITE Program in November of 2023.
Currently, the sign language boards just provide basic messaging. However, J.J. Swain believes this technology will be able to translate even more effectively into ASL in the next 12 to 24 months, as AI continues to develop.
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