A Hotel Experience With Braille That Went Above and Beyond

January is Braille Literacy Month and  I ‘m going to share a positive experience I had at a hotel many years  ago. It was so wonderful I still remember it to this very day. It showed me  there are thoughtful people  still left in the world. It also showed me establishments  want to be inclusive and provide accommodations to  guests like me.

Braille on Hotel Door

Most hotels these days have braille numbers on their doors indicating each room. So, when I went back home to visit my family one summer and stayed in a hotel I was not surprised by the braille on my room door. However, what I was distressed by was how hard it was to read. The dots were somewhat lumped  and clumped together embedded in this very rough texture making it difficult to distinguish between each number. I reported this to the hotel manager. Then I resolved to just do my best by counting the doors down the hall with my white cane to my room.

DIY Braille Door Label

To my amazement the hotel manager found a way to fix the problem. She went above and beyond. One day while I was out she created and posted a separate DIY braille sign just for me. When I came back into the hotel she walked me down to the room and showed me her handy work.

On a simple Post It note she had brailed my room number in clear raised letters that I could touch and feel with little to no problems. I was in shock! I asked her how she did it. She explained that she went online and learned how to create a DIY braille label and make one just for me. Who knew you could create your very own braille door label?

I didn’t have to carefully count the number of doors in the  hallway anymore. When I got to my door I would touch and feel the braille little posted note  and know I had arrived at the correct door. What a relief to know I was at the right place.

I was so impressed by her initiative  and accommodation that when I got a customer satisfaction email on my experience I wrote a complementary message to her supervisor. I shared how the manager went above and beyond and helped make my stay at the hotel very enjoyable.

Why is this important?

Accessing braille door signs is important to people with vision loss. When braille is available we can interpret bathroom doors, office  doors, elevator panels, bus stops, and of course hotel rooms. Braille signage  not only provides important info but allows us to maintain our independence.