Read our key social research reports from 2019 to this year.
Still Ignored: the fight for accessible healthcare (2025)
Our research, undertaken with the charity SignHealth, shows how serious healthcare failings are for more 7 million adults across the UK. Deaf people and people with hearing loss are being left in the dark by the NHS about their own health due to the organisation’s lack of accessible communication.
Download the Still Ignored: the Fight for Accessible Healthcare (2025) report (PDF, 3.8MB)
Watch the 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 a hearing loss when accessing NHS services across Scotland.
The results outline some of the barriers these patients face when trying to access NHS services and the difficulties they can have making appointments and interacting with healthcare professionals. The report also looks at the impact that this can have on patients ability to manage their own physical and mental health.
Download the Healthcare survey Research Note for Scotland (PDF 241KB)
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 and highlight concerns that some NHS hearing aid patients are being encouraged to purchase private hearing aids by their NHS provider.
The results also highlight issues accessing self-referral into hearing services.
Read more: Investigating Variation in NHS Hearing Aid Services: A Research Note (2024)
It does matter: our public attitudes report (2024)
Our major research report, ‘It does matter’ (PDF), captures the impact that negative attitudes and a lack of understanding are having on deaf people and people with hearing loss.
The research was conducted in early 2024 and the report was published during Deaf Awareness Week (6-12 May 2024). Combining evidence from the biggest survey we’ve ever ran 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.
The report also shows what ways in which deaf people and people with hearing loss would like the public to communicate with them.
These findings have gone towards creating our ‘It does matter’ campaign, inviting the public to change their day-to-day behaviour, and make a more inclusive society for all.
Read the ‘It does matter’ report (PDF, 2 MB)
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, which includes experiences from both BSL users and the general public, highlights the ongoing barriers BSL users face, and encourages positive shifts in public behaviour to promote better communication with the deaf community.
Read the report or watch it in BSL.
In their own words: our audiology report (2024)
Our report on the state of UK audiology services in the UK was written in 2024 from research we conducted in the summer of 2023. It shares the latest insights into people’s experience of adult hearing services and their ideas for improving them.
Three areas of improvement were identified, including the need for:
- new service models, such as remote online support options and flexible drop-in clinics
- better service accessibility, such as accessible communication in waiting rooms, improving access to ear wax removal, and local community support
- encouraging new technology and patient empowerment, such as being able to test new hearing devices in different environments, for hearing devices to automatically tune themselves to the user’s needs, and users having greater control over hearing device settings
Some continued challenges around audiology include people not having their communication needs met, finding information gaps about assistive technology and hearing devices, and receiving limited support when adapting to hearing devices.
Read the In Their Own Words report (PDF, 1.9 MB)
Blocked ears, blocked access: the crisis of NHS ear wax removal in England (2024)
To create our 2024 Blocked Ears, Blocked Access report, we submitted Freedom of Information requests 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.
In January 2025, we conducted the same research in Wales, issuing Freedom of Information requests to all seven health boards and found that roughly half the population still do not have access to a service that meets the Welsh Government guidance. Only three health boards provide a full wax management service.
Subtitle It! report (2023)
Our report highlights the importance of subtitles – 9/10 people who filled out our survey 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 the Subtitle It Report (PDF, 1.8MB)
The 2023 Subtitle It Report is an update to our 2015 Progress on Pause report, which found that 87% of people with hearing loss had started to watch a programme on-demand and found it had no subtitles. Additionally, 71% told us they felt they had missed out on, or been left out of, conversations with friends or family because of a lack of subtitles.
Read the Progress on Pause report (PDF, 1MB)
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.
Download our Employer Insights Report (PDF, 215 KB)
Ear wax removal (2022)
This report presents the findings from our research exploring the experiences people have had when trying to access NHS ear wax removal services, what advice they were given, and the impact this had on them.
Download our ear wax report (PDF, 158 KB)
Changing world: the impact of Covid-19 on deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus (2021)
This report presents the findings from our research exploring the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus.
Access to remote GP appointments during COVID-19 (2020)
This report presents the initial findings of our research exploring the experiences of deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus when accessing remote GP appointments during the coronavirus pandemic
Download Access to remote GP appointments during COVID-19 (PDF, 137 KB)
Working for change: support and advice needed for people with hearing loss or deafness in work (2020)
We wanted to understand what support deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus would find most beneficial, so they can feel empowered to be open about their hearing loss and get the support they need in the workplace. This report brings together survey and qualitative research from 2019, in addition to previous research from RNID.
Download Working for Change survey 2018 (PDF, 402 KB)
Download Working for Change report (Word, 4.5 MB)
Managing hearing loss when seeking or in employment (2020)
We tested out different approaches to delivering lipreading support to people with hearing loss. We surveyed people with hearing loss to find out how they would like to receive support and the best way to deliver it outside of working hours.
Download Managing Hearing Loss when Seeking or in Employment report (PDF, 619 KB)
Speak easy (2020)
Over 1,450 people who completed our Speak Easy survey told us that background noise is a huge problem for them when they are eating out. We produced a guide outlining steps cafés, bars and restaurants can take to reduce background noise and be fully accessible for people with hearing loss.
Download our Speak Easy Report (PDF, 2 MB)
Valuing audiology (2019)
Valuing Audiology looks at the performance of NHS hearing aid services in England, and sets out policy solutions to increase accountability, boost access, ensure adherence to national guidance, and make use of emerging technology.
Download Valuing Audiology summary report (PDF, 5 MB)
Download Valuing Audiology full report (PDF, 8 MB)
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