Today we launch a first-of-a-kind report warning that people who are deaf or have hearing loss are being excluded from public transport across the UK. Millions of people are facing stress, anxiety and a loss of independence.
Our new report, Clear Signals, produced with funding from the Motability Foundation, reveals that shockingly, over three quarters of people with hearing loss who use public transport experience accessibility barriers, with consequences that go far beyond the journey itself.
People with hearing loss in the UK are being let down by a transport system failing to meet their needs, and face significant challenges across services such as trains, buses, metro systems and trams.
Journeys are stressful, overwhelming and chaotic
The report highlights how barriers – including the inability for people with hearing loss to access critical real-time information and a lack of deaf awareness from staff – can make even every-day journeys feel impossible, requiring immense emotional effort and planning.
As a result, people with hearing loss describe journeys by public transport as stressful, overwhelming and chaotic. Others said they are forced to restrict or adapt their travel behaviour, and in some cases, stop using public transport altogether. This affects people’s ability to work, socialise and travel independently.
“What if something happens and I don’t hear it?”
Charlotte Young, 44, from Carlisle, has hearing loss and wears a cochlear implant. She told us:
I have to travel on public transport quite a lot. But if I’m travelling on my own, it can be quite nerve-wracking. It can make me anxious, because there are a lot of unknowns around announcements and train times changing.
There’s a sense of having to rely on public transport and knowing that there’s going to be reactive changes, and it can be quite difficult to navigate that. There’s always a layer of nervousness if I’m travelling: ‘What if something happens and I don’t hear it? What if I miss something?’”
Key points
The Clear Signals report is the first-ever published research focusing specifically on the real-life experiences of people who are deaf or have hearing loss on public transport in the UK.
- 41% of passengers who are deaf or have hearing loss said barriers limit their independence
- Over a third (35%) of those surveyed said they avoid using public transport whenever possible
- 76% of people who are deaf or have hearing loss and 81% of British Sign Language (BSL) users said that inaccessible information makes travelling stressful
- Nearly four in five (79%) said they feel the need to stay ‘on alert’ during journeys
- In anticipation of barriers, 68% of people over-prepare and plan ahead for journeys
- 83% say they build in extra time to make their journeys because they cannot rely on information being accessible to them when travelling
We urge the Government and transport sector to work together on our recommendations
Our Clear Signals report sets out a number of solutions to tackle the barriers faced by people with hearing loss using public transport.
These include making audio announcements accessible through technology such as Auracast, British Sign Language translation of real-time travel information, and ensuring all customer-facing staff receive deaf awareness training.
No one relishes the idea of a rush-hour journey on public transport. But if you are deaf or have hearing loss, everyday journeys can seem like an impossible prospect that leave millions feeling lost, anxious and often, simply unable to get where they need to be.
In 2026, it’s completely wrong that millions of people are at the mercy of a transport network that fails to meet their needs. Now is the time for coordinated action from the Government and transport sector, so everyone has the opportunity for safe and independent travel.”- Victoria Boelman, Director of Insight and Policy at RNID
Clear Signals: Improving transport accessibility
For many deaf people and people with hearing loss, using public transport means navigating barriers that most passengers never have to think about.