Deaf-blindness

Deaf-blindness refers to a combination of significant vision and hearing loss.

The level of hearing and vision loss varies widely. Some people may have partial vision and limited hearing. Others may have very little or no functional vision or hearing.

Deaf-blindness is not simply “blindness plus deafness.” The combination creates unique accessibility challenges, particularly when information is delivered through only one sensory channel.

People who are deaf-blind may use tactile communication methods, braille displays, screen readers, magnification tools, or support from interpreters.

Experiences and communication preferences vary.

How this can create barriers online

Digital services often assume that at least one primary sensory channel (visual or auditory) is fully available.

Barriers appear when:

• Information is available only visually (e.g., images without text alternatives)
• Information is available only through sound
• Content relies on audio plus visual cues without text alternatives
• Interfaces require fast responses without tactile-friendly input methods
• Video relies on captions only (which are inaccessible to people who cannot see them)

For some deaf-blind users, text-based interaction supported by assistive technology may be the primary way of accessing digital content.

Common accessibility solutions

Designing for deaf-blind accessibility strengthens overall accessibility.

Effective solutions include:

• Providing meaningful text alternatives for all essential visual content
• Ensuring content is compatible with screen readers and refreshable braille displays
• Avoiding reliance on audio-visual combinations without text
• Supporting full keyboard accessibility
• Ensuring logical heading structure and semantic markup
• Providing transcripts for multimedia content

Well-structured, semantic HTML is especially important.

Assistive technologies and strategies

People who are deaf-blind may use:

• Refreshable braille displays
• Screen readers
• Screen magnification tools
• Tactile sign language (offline contexts)
• Assistive input devices

Many rely heavily on structured text content that can be processed sequentially.

Not all users use the same tools or techniques.

Design considerations

When designing for deaf-blind accessibility:

• Ensure content works without sight and without sound.
• Prioritise structured, semantic markup.
• Avoid relying solely on visual layout for meaning.
• Ensure that all interactive elements are keyboard accessible.
• Provide text-based communication options where possible.

Robust structure and multiple sensory alternatives are critical.

Things to avoid

Avoid:

• Audio-only instructions
• Visual-only instructions
• Videos that rely solely on captions
• Complex visual layouts without semantic structure
• Non-semantic interactive components

If content cannot be accessed via structured text, it may be inaccessible to some users who are deaf-blind.

Key takeaway

Deaf-blind accessibility requires more than duplicating audio and visual content. It requires structured, text-based, semantically meaningful content that can be accessed through tactile and assistive technologies. When digital services are robust and well-structured, they become more inclusive for users with combined sensory disabilities.