Our prevalence data shows that there are 9 million working-age people in the UK who have some degree of hearing loss, and they experience inequalities in the workplace.
Employment rates
- Deaf people and people with hearing loss are less likely to be employed than the general population (Department for Work and Pensions Official Statistics, 2023).
- Only 37% of people who report British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language are working, in comparison to 77% of people who are not disabled under the Equality Act (England and Wales 2021 Census and 2022 Scotland Census).
Access to Work scheme
Our 2026 Access to Work report showed that:
- 37% of BSL users say their award changed at renewal despite no change in work or access needs, affecting their ability to attend work meetings and access training and development.
- 37% of people waited four months or longer for a decision on their Access to Work grant, and 13% waited over 10 months.
Experiences and barriers at work
Our 2024 ‘It Does Matter’ report showed that 25% of deaf people and 49% of BSL users have experienced negative attitudes from work colleagues.
Our rapid evidence review showed that there are four main barriers to equality at work:
- negative attitudes and a lack of deaf awareness from colleagues and managers
- inconsistent access to support, such as reasonable adjustments and Access to Work funding
- inaccessible workplaces and exclusionary policies and cultures
- fewer opportunities for professional development and career progression
Explore more evidence on employment
Case studies: why inclusion at work matters
“When people take the time to ensure I’m included, it eases my anxiety – that awareness makes all the difference.”