Access to public transport for deaf people and people with hearing loss
The primary finding of this review was the significant lack of robust evidence about access to UK public transport services for deaf people and people with hearing loss. However, the limited available data suggests that accessibility is a significant challenge.
33% of disabled people said that they “always” experienced access challenges or barriers that made it difficult to travel when they, or people they travelled with, were using public transport; only 2% said this was “never” the case (House of Commons 2025).
Similarly, only 48% of disabled people reported positive experiences of public transport (Motability 2020b). Only 16% of people said their local public transport was good at meeting the needs of people with sensory impairment, and 37% said they didn’t know (Department for Transport 2024).
Data also suggests that experiences are not homogenous. Disabled people felt less safe and secure on public transport during the evening than the day and generally felt less safe than people who were not disabled (Transport Scotland 2023b). Women and young people were the most likely groups to consider public transport unsafe (Department for Transport, 2024)
One study found that 76% of respondents with a “hearing disability” felt mentally exhausted from using public transport; this was the highest of all disability groups included in the study (Motability 2025). Transport for London data from 2018 found that people with hearing loss experienced problems on 23% of journeys, and were the most likely group to experience stress while travelling (Transport for London 2019).
There are a wide range of factors that can affect equitable access to public transport for deaf people and people with hearing loss. Evidence is more limited as to the prevalence and severity of these barriers and enablers in UK public transport.
This review explores three elements of public transport systems that can enable or disrupt access for deaf people and people with hearing loss: systems and infrastructure, information and communication, and attitudes and awareness.