Hearing Disabilities
These include, but are not limited to, hard of hearing and deafness.
Summary of Best Practices
- Use images and diagrams, audio and video to support textual content
- Use transcripts and captions for audio and video content
- Provide descriptive and informative headings
- Provide descriptive and informative links
- Follow a linear and logical layout; don't create busy layouts
- Use proper semantics (e.g. paragraphs, headings, lists, tables)
- Keep content short, clear and simple; use simple sentences and lists
- Use plain English, not figures of speech or idioms; define your jargon first
- Provide alternative options to telephone for contact information
Stories of Web Users from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
- Dhruv, older adult student who is deaf: Dhruv is deaf. When watching videos or other online content that contains audio, he relies on real-time captions or transcripts of what is being said.
- Marta, marketing assistant who is deaf and blind: Marta is deaf and blind, although she can see small portions of a computer screen when it is significantly enlarged using screen magnification software. She uses captions and transcripts for audio content.