RNID produces in-depth original research on our three key themes:
Health
Still Ignored: the fight for accessible healthcare (2025)
Our research, undertaken with the charity SignHealth, found serious healthcare failings for more 7 million adults across the UK.
Deaf people and people with hearing loss are being left in the dark about their own health due to a lack of accessible communication in the NHS.
Download the reports:
- Still Ignored: The fight for accessible healthcare England report (PDF, 3.8MB)
- Still Ignored: The fight for accessible healthcare report for Wales (PDF 2MB)
- Still Ignored: The fight for accessible healthcare report for Wales – Welsh translation (PDF 2MB)
Watch the England report in BSL
Watch the Wales report in BSL
Experiences of accessing NHS services in Scotland: a research note (2025)
Our research note examines the experiences of patients who are deaf or have hearing loss when accessing NHS services across Scotland.
The results outline some of the barriers these patients face when accessing NHS services, making appointments and interacting with healthcare professionals.
Download Experiences of Accessing NHS Services in Scotland (PDF 241KB)
Stop the Block
Our 2025 reports on the crisis of NHS ear wax removal services.
- Download the 2025 Stop the Block report for England (PDF 1MB)
- Download the 2025 Stop the Block report for Wales (PDF 2MB)
- Download the 2025 Stop the Block report for Wales in Welsh (PDF 2MB)
Investigating variation in NHS hearing aid services: a research note (2024)
Our research note shares insights from NHS hearing aid wearers and their experiences of NHS hearing aid services.
The results outline potential variation in hearing technology across NHS hearing aid providers. We highlight concerns that some NHS hearing aid patients are being encouraged to purchase private hearing aids by their NHS provider.
Read more: Investigating Variation in NHS Hearing Aid Services.
In their own words: our audiology report (2024)
Our report on the state of UK audiology services shares the latest insights into people’s experience of adult hearing services and their ideas for improving them.
We identify three key areas of improvement: new service models, better service accessibility, and encouraging new technologies.
Download In Their Own Words: Insight and Ideas from Adult Hearing Service Patients (PDF, 1.9 MB)
Blocked ears, blocked access: the crisis of NHS ear wax removal in England (2024)
This report shares the result of Freedom of Information requests issued by RNID to the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICB) in England, asking if they commission ear wax removal services in line with public health guidelines.
Our results show that less than half of ICBs are meeting recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Many don’t make ear wax removal services available to everybody, and some don’t commission the service at all, leaving thousands of people without access.
Download Blocked Ears, Blocked Access: The Crisis of NHS Ear Wax Removal in England (PDF, 705 KB)
Inclusion
Clear Signals: Improving transport accessibility for deaf people and people with hearing loss
Our new report, funded by the Motability Foundation, reveals widespread challenges affecting access to public transport, including accessing real-time information, a lack of deaf awareness amongst transport staff, and a lack of BSL translation. This affects people’s confidence, independence and willingness to travel.
However, potential solutions for some of the issues already exist and the report highlights how these can be delivered through better information, better staff support, emerging technologies and consistent policy.
Clear Signals – Wales report (English) (PDF 2MB)
Clear Signals – Wales report (Cymraeg) (PDF 2MB)
Watch the executive summary in BSL
It does matter: our public attitudes report (2024)
Our major research report captures the impact that negative attitudes and a lack of understanding are having on deaf people and people with hearing loss.
Combining evidence from the biggest survey we’ve ever run with our communities, and a poll of the general public, the research reveals a large divide between what the public think deaf people experience, and the reality.
Watch the ‘It does matter’ report in BSL
It does matter: public attitudes to BSL users (2024)
Our second research report for ‘It does matter’ focused on public attitudes toward British Sign Language (BSL) users.
The report highlights the ongoing barriers BSL users face, and encourages positive shifts in public behaviour to promote better communication with the deaf community.
Read more: It Does Matter: Public Attitudes to BSL users.
Subtitle It! report (2023)
Our report highlights the importance of subtitles: 9 our of 10 survey respondents who are deaf or have hearing loss usually or always use subtitles when watching TV.
The report also shows that many people are still facing barriers accessing TV programmes using on-demand platforms as subtitles are not available consistently.
Download Subtitle It (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Employment
Access to Work report (2026)
Our research, undertaken with DeafAtW, investigates the experiences of deaf and deafblind people and people with hearing loss using the Access to Work scheme.
Access to Work continues to be a vital service that helps many people stay in employment, but the results found serious operational failures, inaccessible processes, and new restrictions and reductions to awards. These barriers are limiting deaf people’s ability to work, progress, and participate fully in employment.
Employer insights report (2023)
This report shares insight from employers, and recommendations from us, about how employers can become more inclusive for staff members who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
The insight and recommendations in this report are based on a serious of round tables with senior executives we held throughout 2022 and results from our online survey of professionals who recruit or line manage staff.