What is Auditory Accessibility?
Auditory disabilities range from mild or moderate hearing loss in one or both ears (“hard of hearing”) to substantial and uncorrectable hearing loss in both ears (“deafness”). Some people with auditory disabilities can hear sounds but sometimes not sufficiently to understand all speech, especially when there is background noise. This can include people using hearing aids.
From W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, "Diverse Abilities and Barriers."
Designing for users who are D/deaf or hard of hearing
Do
- write in plain English
- use subtitles or provide transcripts for video
- use a linear, logical layout
- break up content with sub-headings, images and videos
- let users ask for their preferred communication support when booking appointments
Don't
- use complicated words or figures of speech
- put content in audio or video only
- make complex layouts and menus
- make users read long blocks of content
- don't make telephone the only means of contact for users
This poster is made available by UK Home Office via a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.
Auditory Accessibility Resources
- Deaf or Hard of Hearingfrom Reverence and User Services Association
"Library professionals are often not aware that a person approaching them for assistance is deaf or hard of hearing until the person begins to communicate. Deaf people communicate in a variety of ways: speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, or a combination of these. People often assume that the deaf will use American Sign Language (ASL) or read lips.Common requests that library staff members may expect are questions relating to local education options for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, information about a variety of hearing differences, and information how to cope with hearing loss." - Deaf Cultural Resource CenterA Subsidiary of Library for Deaf Action
