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health & safety
26
Belfast City Airport (BCA) is the second major
airport in the UK to install DeafAlerter(r), the
market leading radio-based fire alarm warning
and messaging system for Deaf and hard of
hearing passengers and staff. The aim of the
introduction of Deaf Alerter is not only to
improve BCA facilities in compliance with the
Disability Discrimination Act (enforced
October 2004) by providing equal access, but
to enhance the travel experience BCA Deaf or
hard of hearing passengers receive.
A hearing person in the airport relies on the
audible alarms for fire alarm or emergency
warnings, however Deaf and hard of hearing
people are excluded from these vital messages
as it is a facility not accessible to them. The
Deaf Alerter system overcomes this barrier by
means of a small hand-held device, known as an
Alerter. Passengers can borrow an Alerter free
of charge from the information desk, at which
point an instruction card will be provided; those
passengers who own their own Alerter will need
to register it with the information desk.
The Deaf Alerter system comprises a VHF radio
transmitter and aerial, which is permanently
connected to the airport’s existing fire alarm
system. This responds instantly to an alarm and
each Alerter in use receives a simultaneous signal,
vibrating and flashing to attract the Alerter
wearer’s attention. This will continue until the
Alerter user is safely out of the building.
Although life safety is the key purpose and priority
of Deaf Alerter it has another great unique
feature called Message Manager(tm), which provides
access to audible public address
announcements. Deaf Alerter’s Message
Manager has an automated link with the flight
information system; when a
message is broadcast audibly
the same message is
sent via the Alerter, for
example ‘Go to Gate’ or
‘Flight Boarding’.
Belfast City
Airport prepares
for DDA takeoff
with Deaf Alerter
Traditionally for most Deaf and hard of hearing
people the departure lounge experience is not
particularly pleasurable. It’s extremely difficult
to hear announcements even when you have full
hearing. With 15% of the UK population experiencing
some form of hearing loss, ranging form
mild hearing loss to profoundly deaf (9 million
people) there is a huge number of potential passengers
who will struggle to hear the messages,
if at all. So the wait in the departure lounge for
Deaf passengers is usually spent sitting next to
an information screen, being too worried to
move in case they miss their flight.
This need not be the case. Deaf Alerter’s
Managing Director Steve Haseldine explains:
“Deaf Alerter makes for an altogether more
pleasurable travelling experience, knowing a
safety provision has been made if a fire was to
occur and that it is virtually impossible to miss
your flight as the Alerter will inform you on its
screen. One of the main things people look forward
to when flying is shopping in duty free;
rest assured, Deaf Alerter will help you get
around the duty free, something we should all
be able to do without worrying. Many organi-
sations are unaware of their obligation to provide
fire safety to all people, which includes
people with disabilities, BCA commitment to
their passengers’ needs has been inspirational,
I’m sure it won’t go unnoticed by the Deaf
community and may even help attract more passengers
as an installation of Deaf Alerter often
does.”
“Whilst assisting a Deaf passenger the other day,
I experienced the barriers Deaf people face and
just how confusing it can be,” said Liz Donnan,
Customer Services Duty Manager at BCA.
“Message Manager will be fantastic for our passengers.
We are in the process of implanting it
so it should be available very soon. We hope it
will enable our Deaf and hard of hearing passengers
to have freedom and independence
throughout the terminal buildings as it has done
at Birmingham International Airport, who
installed the system last year.”
Liz continued, “Deaf Alerter is just one of the
many initiatives BCA has implemented but we
are constantly reviewing ways in which to
improve our facilities for all disabled people.”
Reader Reply No.: 85027
www.practicalfm.co.uk