聽障者旅遊溝通之個案研究

Case Study on Travel Communication for the Hearing Impaired

良好的溝通是聽覺障礙者獲得愉快旅遊的主要方法，其重要性不亞於環境可及性，然而，國內外相關研究並不多見。本研究以敘說分析探究聽障者參與團體旅遊的經驗與故事，深入探討聽障者在自我、人際、環境及科技等溝通範疇之連結，以挖掘深層的旅遊溝通意涵。深度訪談28位聽障者，從團體旅遊經驗中察覺多元意義之過程脈絡，以及心理轉折與應對之意涵。研究結果發現：1.父母是聽障者可以接受子女獨自參加團體旅遊。2.參加一般旅遊團有溝通障礙，聽障者期待有溝通方式歸屬感的旅遊。3.聽障者仍有溝通方式之差異，突顯獨特語言文化仍然國中有國。4.專屬網路社群緊密連結聽障者的情感溝通。本研究亦提出實務建議，供旅行業者對規劃聽障者團體旅遊之參考。

Communication is key in ensuring that people with hearing impairments have enjoyable travel experiences; it is just as relevant as environmental accessibility. However, scholars have largely adopted the environmental barrier perspective to explore the accessibility of people with disabilities. In particular, there is a lack of research on the tourism behaviors of the hearing-impaired. Narrative analysis has gained popularity as a methodological approach in qualitative research; however, it has been relatively neglected in the tourism field. This study conducted a narrative analysis to examine the experiences of the hearing-impaired who went on group tours and their communication-based connections, that is, intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and technology-based communications. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 28 participants. The interviews focused on transformative contexts before and after the travel and the participants’ perceptions of tourism communication during the tours. The results revealed that most parents with hearing impairments agreed to them joining a group tour. Participants faced several communication difficulties while they were on the group tour. Their sense of belonging to the hearing-impaired community and their family members highlighted subdivisions in communication cultures and the need for an online networking platform that connects the hearing-impaired. This study concluded with suggestions for the tourism industry to plan and improve group tours for people with hearing impairments.