
Many companies and organizations still list TTY numbers or recommend relay services as the primary way for deaf or hard-of-hearing customers to communicate. These tools were groundbreaking decades ago – but that time has passed.

I have been an Apple user for as long as I can remember. My first computer was a desktop Mac that I got in the late 90s. My first laptop was PC, but eventually I switched to a MacBook. My first phone was Sidekick, then Blackberry, but eventually I ended up with an iPhone. My first tablet was an iPad. I haven’t switched to an Apple Watch yet – I’m still using an analog watch, haha. So most of my devices are from Apple.
I went to present at a conference in Massachusetts last month and took train there via Amtrak. While I like traveling, I often experience communication and information access issues on trains like I do during air travels. Many deaf and hard of hearing travelers share same frustrations.