Deaf activist and model Nyle DiMarco has lashed out at United Airlines over a recent flight which did not offer closed captioning for the hearing impaired.
DiMarco tweeted out his dissatisfaction with the airline after a March 22 experience. “My 5hr flight had no subtitles and now my final leg is being delayed twice,” he tweeted. “I want to cry on @united’s wheelchair that I never asked for.” DiMarco referred to the lack of closed captioning on in-flight entertainment. United replied by noting that captions were only available on “select flights.” The airline also asked for his flight number to address the delays.
Related:Nyle Dimarco was offered a wheelchair at the airport because… he’s deaf?
The response did little to placate DiMarco’s frustration. He replied with a video to Twitter of him speaking in sign language, noting that United would “have fun figuring out” the message without captioning. For those that do require captions to understand sign language, DiMarco just gave the number of his flight.
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This also isn’t the first time DiMarco has taken to social media to complain about the treatment of deaf people on flights. Last December, he slammed Delta Airlines for offering him a wheelchair that he didn’t ask for (which he made reference to in his original tweet).
https://twitter.com/NyleDiMarco/status/1109443364519317505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1109443364519317505&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaystarnews.com%2Farticle%2Fnyle-dimarco-shades-united-bad-flight%2F
sanfranca1
Why would you order an unrequested wheelchair for a very obviously fit, mobile person? These airline people are just plain mentally challenged.
glennmcbride
When you purchase a ticket online, you can indicate whether you need special assistance which they usually interpret as a wheelchair. Since he must have indicated he needed assistance because of a disability, they interpreted it as ordering a wheel chair.
Wicked Dickie
I swear this guy is soo effing annoying. Every time he takes a flight he finds something to bitch about. I bet the Flight Attendants draw straws to see who will go offer him a drink. Prick.
Brian
It seems to me that the things he bitches about are pretty much all about airlines not reasonably accommodating deaf people. Left to their own devices, we see that the airlines do things like not making closed captioning standard and having wheelchairs waiting for deaf people for no reason. If deaf people like Nyle don’t make the airlines aware of their needs, who will?
Hdtex
His concerns are legit. Let’s poke your eardrums out and see how you adapt.
Jimmyk321
“Let’s make fun of the deaf guy who just wants to be treated like everybody else. He’s an annoying, entitled dick for wanting closed captioning, I bet the flight attendants make sure they’re not working when this abusive asshole complains about not being to watch a film like literally every other customer or complains that he was offered a wheelchair even though he was practically carved from marble”.
You, my friend, are why people find it hard to accept us. Asshole.
dougmbaaser
I hope I draw the short straw!!!!
tlbuffin
You’re a Trump voter, aren’t you?
mattkorey
Love this guy. Seems really nice and a good example and role model.
iamru2
How does he seem really nice? He comes off as a huge drama queen who runs to Twitter to bitch about his life in hopes of getting sympathy from people while trying to shame people and possibly get them fired. That’s not s nice guy. A nice guy would go directly to the airline to bring up his concerns!
Brian
Twitter is a legitimate way of bringing concerns to companies. Have you ever tried to call a company about a customer service issue and gone into a rabbit hole of waiting and being transferred and explaining the problem to every new person you get on the line? Have you ever sent an email through a website and only gotten back the most basic form letter response? The public nature of Twitter often motivates the company to respond really quickly. I don’t blame people at all for taking that route.
Jboo
You know what has closed captioning? A book. Bring a freaking book. Or a magazine. Or download videos from Netflix on your phone and watch them offline like every normal person. If you paid extra for entertainment, then yes, you have a legitimate grievance and go seek a refund. But otherwise shoosh, you arrived alive and intact. That’s a win in the aviation world.
Hdtex
You seem nice
Ronbo
And smart!
Tootall
To the people complaining about how Nyle is acting like an entitled drama queen, as someone who is hard of hearing myself, let me tell you why you are wrong.
Ignoring the fact that it’s generally illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities, there are basic communication and safety concerns surrounding this issue. For example, if there’s an emergency, without closed captioning, or basic knowledge of sign language, there is no way to communicate with those who are deaf or cannot hear well (writing takes time and can be difficult in stressful situations or where immediate action is needed). I don’t know if you’ve been in a situation where something was going down and you don’t know what is happening, but it can be terrifying and really isolating.
This is also about being treated like equals. As a business providing a service to the public, it is the responsibility of the airline to accommodate for the needs of all who may need to use their service. When a company is unwilling to accommodate for the needs of individuals who are part of minority groups they are basically saying “you aren’t important enough to care about,” and in situations where there is the potential (no matter how small) for your safety to be at risk then that message also says “we don’t care if you get hurt or die.”
This issue also affects more than just those of us who are hard of hearing or deaf, it also impacts on people with conditions like vertigo, ear infections and (pressure) blockages (that can affect your hearing), auditory processing issues, ADD/ADHD, autistic folk, and plain exhaustion (which can make it difficult to focus).
Also, only providing a service on select flights is not acceptable, as that perpetrates further discrimination by restricting people who may need that service to ultra-specific times when they can travel. These times may not be ideal or optional for those who need the service, not to mention what happens if their flight/plane changes last minute, is overbooked (and they have to catch a different flight), or they have to make a connecting flight and miss it due to external conditions.
Stop telling people that they have to shut up and deal with things as the way they are, when the way things are can put their ability to participate in every day life and their safety in jeopardy.
Nightbird
To those complaining about Mr. DiMarco’s actions..it’s very simple to understand: Equality
That means we ALL get treated the same.
That means we ALL get to understand what is being said to us.
That means we ALL don’t have to struggle ESPECIALLY if we paid the same amount of MONEY that others paid yet WE don’t get the same services/treatment/benefits/accommodations or anything else others are enjoying.
Hearing privilege. Gotta love it!
Calin
What is so wrong wanting to be treated equally? We tend to take things for granted, we need to stop and look around us, life is not all about me, me, me.
xenafreak31
Hearing people have no idea of what being deaf is and how it impacts your life when you are deaf and you have to deal with people who take hearing for granted. As a deaf person, you have to speak up to people with ears that work but don’t seem to hear or understand you. Lack of equality is what he bringing to our attention.
MJS
Be curious to know how he or his people (if he has people) are requesting assistance. Wheelchairs or other special services assistance just doesn’t show up at a gate for you, you as the traveler you have to request them in advance.
Admittedly, ADA services at all airports sucks!
Brian
Yes, they do just show up. He makes them aware that he is deaf, so they have a wheelchair waiting for him at his destination. Apparently it’s happened many times, it’s not just one dumb employee
MJS
That’s my point, what specifically is being requested? Guide and or sign language assistance isn’t the same as wheelchair assistance. Wheelchair service indicates that you can’t walk great distances.
If he’s requesting a wheelchair, he’s requesting the wrong service.
However most airports don’t offer TTY or sign language services to travelers past access to a phone with the services enabled.
Brian
Yes, that is his whole point. Do you really think he is requesting a wheelchair? He’s probably not requesting anything, just letting them know that they will have to communicate with him differently.