Deaf Services Help Make Yosemite Fun for Everyone

Until you need them most people don’t think about the services available in Yosemite to people who have special needs. Because my son has special needs we’re always thinking about ways to make the park more interesting and enjoyable to him that’s why when Jessica from the Deaf Services Program at Yosemite National Park sent me an email asking if I’d mention her program I enthusiastically agreed.

There are lots of programs available for deaf visitors that many either don’t know about or don’t utilize. Most visitors aren’t aware the NPS makes available a full-time sign language interpreter in the park every summer, available to interpret any of the wonderful program offerings happening in Yosemite. The sign language interpreter can go with you on nature walks, to Indian cultural demonstrations, to the Yosemite Theatre, on tours, and to other activities happening around the park.

For those who do not use sign language to communicate, there are assistive listening devices available in most visitor centers and at tourdesks. There are public TTYs and volume control telephones available throughout the Valley and at park hotels. Hotels also offer Deaf guests a “Deaf Kit,” complete with a TTY, a phone amplifier, a bed-shaker alarm, and a fire alarm light flasher.

Deaf visitors are also eligible to get into any of the National Parks for FREE with the The Access Pass. The Access Pass is a free, lifetime pass for Americans with a permanent disability that allows the passholder and up to four passengers in their car free entry into all National Parks and federal recreational lands.

For more information on Deaf Services available within Yosemite National Park:

Deaf Services Coordinator: (summer season)
(209) 372-0296 (V/TTY) or yose_deaf_services@nps.gov

Interpreter Requests and General Park Info (year round)
(209) 373-4726 (TTY), (209)372-0645 (V) or yose_deaf_services@nps.gov

In-Park Hotel and Cabin Reservations: (DNC)
(559) 252-2846 (TTY), (801) 559-5000 (V) or www.yosemitepark.com

Campground Reservations: (NPS)
(877) 833-6777 (TTY), (877) 444-6777 (V) or www.recreation.gov

Remember, advance request is always encouraged, especially during the off-season, when the park contracts with an outside interpreter to meet demand. You can download a full brochure about the Deaf Services here.