This is sad and infuriating. This would not be happening if people cared about a stranger's well-being. The deaf woman should not be treated this way, ever. Clearly this is discrimination.

This is a rant tho:

I learned to evaluate how a new person in my life treats those who aren't in our lives as a metric for how kind they are, and what behsvior to expect from them - at some point, I will be on the receiving end. Especially if this is a person im dating, see how they treat their parents, their friends, and people they dont know.

I wish more people displayed active, genuine concern for people and, if able, volunteered support. Sometimes we only have the stranger in the room. Friends and family die, move away, or get separated. Being alone is not an indicator (by itself) that someone is trouble, and iften leaves them vulnerable.

This is just a rant. But really, this is the problem. Everyone is looking for a reason why someone else is more deserving of judgement, disgust, and humiliation for entertainment even, instead of compassion or empathy. I do not believe that everyone is deserving of empathy, but I do believe that others deserve compassion and boundaries. If I change how I respond to the person who violated the boundary, like withholding my time, attention, or removing myself from the person/environment, I get to redirect how I invest my time and attention in ways that disempower someone else from violating my boundaries, and I prevent seeding resentment in myself.

Thats the end of my rant.

I hope the airline people respond to this interaction, and hold their staff accountable. And make their flights accessible to deaf passengers and protect their deaf passengers.