Auditory Disabilities
Introduction

Something to Think About...

When we think of accessibility, we often envision a blind user using a screen reader. Users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are easily overlooked. With video and multimedia content so prevalent online, it's important that users with auditory disabilities be considered.

Solutions

The most important consideration to make content accessible to users with hearing impairment is very straightforward - provide captions for multimedia content (meaning video content that also has audio) and provide transcripts for all audio content. A sign language version of the media may also be provided for an even more inclusive experience (assuming visitors understand the version of sign language provided).

Additionally, many users with hearing loss possess some degree of hearing and may prefer audio content—on its own or in conjunction with captions. Reasonable effort should be taken to create high quality audio and to eliminate unnecessary background noise.