BUT, we did agree to be booked on the next flight. AND told the GA that as long as the seats were together that was fine. Once we arrived at CLT we found that we had not been re-booked nor were there any seats left at all on the next flight. They could not see any upcoming flights that were available either. This is peak season in MBJ. Basically, our option was these seats, or nothing at all. All I could do was hope there was not an emergency and suck it up.
Do I expect AA to find seats on another airline for me that had two seats together. No, that is not reasonable. Do I think it is reasonable to move people who booked coached tickets with the hope of being upgraded and given my seats, yes I think that would have been a reasonable accommodation. If I had been late to the gate due to issues on my end, I wouldn't be having this conversation.
Yes, deaf people fly all day long. I can guarantee you that if you are ever in an emergency situation that you need to evacuate they will impede your evacuation. That is something that I am not willing to chance which is why I don't fly solo. Which is why I book months in advance to get seats together, note the disability every which way and almost always fly first or biz so there are generally only 2 in a row (me and my translator) so I will not impede other passengers. While it is a nice thought to think we would all work together in case of evacuation, I am sure most passengers will be worried about getting themselves off a plane and not worried about getting me off when I cannot hear instructions. While I do not think deaf people should be banned from flying , I do think they should not be flying solo (probably not a popular opinion, I know)