Auditory disabilities, also known as hearing impairments, are conditions that affect a person's ability to hear. This can include partial or complete deafness, as well as other conditions that affect the ability to perceive sound, such as tinnitus or hyperacusis.
What barriers might people with auditory disabilities encounter on the web?
There are several potential barriers, but here are a couple of examples:
- Lack of captioning or transcripts: Videos, audio recordings, and other multimedia content may not be captioned or transcribed, making it difficult or impossible to access the information.
- Poor audio quality: Audio content with poor quality or low volume can make it difficult to understand the information.
- Inaccessible audio-based features: Some web features, such as audio-only instructions or audio feedback, may be inaccessible to people.
- Lack of sign language interpretation: Webinars, live streams, or video content may not have sign language interpretation available. But it's good to note that not all people with auditory disabilities know sign language!
- Inaccessible emergency alerts: Emergency alerts in audio format may not be accessible to people with hearing impairments.