Accessibility for Hearing Impaired

Deafness

Deafness involves a substantial uncorrectable impairment of hearing in both ears. Some deaf individuals' first language is a sign language, and they may or may not read a written language fluently, or speak clearly.

To use the Web, many people who are deaf rely on captions for audio content. They may need to turn on the captions on an audio file as they browse a page; concentrate harder to read what is on a page; or rely on supplemental images to highlight context.

Barriers that people who are deaf may encounter on the Web can include:

• lack of captions or transcripts of audio on the Web, including webcasts
• lack of content-related images in pages full of text, which can slow comprehension for people whose first language may be a sign language instead of a written/spoken language
• lack of clear and simple language
• requirements for voice input on Web sites

Hard of Hearing

A person with a mild to moderate hearing impairment may be considered hard of hearing.

To use the Web, people who are hard of hearing may rely on captions for audio content and/or amplification of audio. They may need to toggle the captions on an audio file on or off, or adjust the volume of an audio file.

Barriers encountered on the Web can include:

• lack of captions or transcripts for audio on the Web, including webcasts