This policy statement draws on insights from our employment evidence review and our work with deaf people and people with hearing loss to set out the changes we want to see, and how we can make that a reality.
Deaf people and people with hearing loss need equal opportunities to enter, remain and progress in work. This requires inclusive employers and workplace cultures, effective employment support, and an Access to Work scheme that is fit for purpose.
We want government policies aimed at increasing employment and reducing economic inactivity, to remove barriers and create meaningful opportunities for our communities to participate in work.
Background: Employment policy in the UK
Employers are legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, so they are not at a disadvantage.
However, there is little guidance for employers or employees about what ‘reasonable’ means in practice.
Additional support is available through the Access to Work scheme, which funds workplace support that goes beyond employers’ legal responsibilities. For many people who are deaf, having hearing loss or tinnitus, particularly British Sign Language (BSL) users, Access to Work is essential for entering, remaining in and progressing in employment.
The UK Government has acknowledged the challenges in closing the disability employment gap. In 2024, the Government published the Pathways to Work white paper, setting the intention to reduce economic inactivity amongst disabled people and strengthen employment support.
While employment rights, equality legislation and Access to Work remain largely reserved to the UK Government, some related powers are devolved. Scotland and Wales both deliver their own employability programmes to support people into work.
Access to Work is operated centrally across England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland administers separate disability employment support.
The problems
- Deaf people and people with hearing loss experience significant barriers to employment opportunities and career progression.
- Workplaces are generally not inclusive of deaf people and people with hearing loss.
- Support systems are too often failing the people they are intended to help.
What we’re doing
RNID is calling on the Government to ensure the Access to Work scheme is fully accessible. We also provide information for employers and professionals about how to support employees, customers, and clients.
Join us in our campaign to ensure Access to Work delivers for everyone who needs it.
RNID’s recommendations for driving meaningful change
1: Reform Access to Work and improve access to workplace adjustments and communication support
Reform Access to Work and invest in the scheme’s infrastructure to ensure it operates efficiently and effectively. A reformed scheme must be accessible and informed by feedback and experiences of people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
Maintain and protect Access to Work’s main principle – that the scheme provides support beyond employers’ legal obligations – by providing clear guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on what constitutes a reasonable adjustment and introducing enforcement mechanisms to ensure employers meet their duties.
2: Strengthen employer support and accountability
Establish a Government-led Employer Disability Information Hub providing practical guidance on recruiting, retaining and supporting disabled employees, including deaf people and people with hearing loss.
Employers should be encouraged to demonstrate meaningful progress on disability inclusion and workplace accessibility, rather than simply signing up to voluntary commitments.
3: Build deaf aware and inclusive workplace cultures
Government and employers should work together, through Disability Confident or other employer-focused programmes, to make deaf awareness and disability inclusion a standard part of workplace culture, rather than an optional activity.
Employers should be made aware of practical support to help managers and employees communicate and work confidently with colleagues who are deaf or have hearing loss, and have access to deaf awareness training.
4: Improve employability support and pathways into work
Employment support should be tailored to individuals’ needs, recognising that some people require foundational support before they are ready to work. Ensuring service providers are deaf aware, including awareness of Deaf culture, BSL, and relevant barriers to accessing and using services, would improve the effectiveness of support for deaf BSL users.
Specialist support should provide access to role models, mentors or peer networks, while working directly with employers to create pathways into employment.
5: Ensure government employment services are accessible
Information about employment support and government schemes should be clear, easy to find, available in accessible formats including BSL and informed by the experiences of deaf and disabled people.
As part of a modern system, people should be able to access support through online portal, email and other channels that are accessible for deaf people and people with hearing loss.
Why these changes will work
Access to Work is a key enabler of employment and career progression, and when delivered effectively it enables people to enter, progress, and remain in work.
Specialist employment support, better employer awareness and improved access to workplace adjustments can help more deaf people and people with hearing loss enter and remain in employment.
Research suggests that organisation-wide approaches to inclusion are more effective than relying on individuals to repeatedly self-advocate for support and reasonable adjustments.
Access to employment can increase confidence, reduce isolation and enable deaf people and people with hearing loss to participate more fully in their communities, while improving their wellbeing, independence, and financial security.