Accessing public transport can be challenging for deaf people and people with hearing loss in the UK. How often people experience problems accessing public transport 77% experience barriers on public transport, for BSL users this figure is 94% ( RNID Clear Signals report, 2026 ) Only 7% say they never experience barriers. For BSL users this is just 1% ( RNID Clear Signals report, 2026 )....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change for clinical practice; this is a summary statistics sheet for policy and advocacy purposes, not a clinical resource.
These striking prevalence figures quantify the scale of transport exclusion affecting people with hearing loss, providing audiologists and advocates with concrete data to support patients' broader quality-of-life needs.
- 0177% of deaf people and those with hearing loss report barriers to public transport use in the UK (Clear Signals 2026).
- 02The figure rises to 94% for BSL users, suggesting compounding disadvantage.
- 03Data are drawn from RNID's own 2026 Clear Signals report.
- 04The fact sheet is designed as a quick-reference advocacy tool.
- 05No clinical outcomes or hearing device efficacy data are included.
77% of deaf people and those with hearing loss experience public transport barriers in the UK.
studypartially supported94% of BSL users experience public transport barriers in the UK.
studypartially supported