RNID research finds more than a quarter of deaf people say most people ignore them in public

New research in time for Deaf Awareness Week by the charity RNID has found that overall, more than a quarter of deaf people say that most people ignore them in public settings. Shockingly, this number rose to 59% for those who use BSL.

The charity’s biggest ever survey of over 8000 people showed that 67% of people said they had experienced negative attitudes or behaviours in the last year.

Half of respondents said they faced negative behaviour from their own families, with 54% people reporting that people tell them ‘it doesn’t matter’ when they struggle to understand.

For BSL users, the impact is often more significant, with 56% saying they feel disrespected by people around them.

One woman with hearing loss surveyed by RNID said:

“One of the worst things is when people say something I miss and when asked to repeat they say ‘oh it doesn’t matter’. It probably didn’t matter to them at the time, but it makes me feel I don’t matter.”  

47% say they have been shouted at, 47% said they feel excluded, 33% feel lonely or isolated, and 39% said these experiences had a negative effect on their confidence.

Sarah Adedeji, 23, from Erith, South East London, is deaf. She said:

“There’s a lot of stigma and misconceptions around deafness. People told my mum I wouldn’t amount to anything and that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish some things because of my hearing loss. There was a lot of friction between us and family gatherings were difficult. My family didn’t learn to sign, so I had to rely on speech and lipreading which was often tiring and isolating.

“Sometimes in a group conversation I wouldn’t catch something and people would say ‘oh it doesn’t matter’. Or people assumed that because I can lipread, I can hear. At some point, I would get listening fatigue and retreat into myself. It was damaging, but I just had to put up with it.

“It was my mum who encouraged me to become an audiologist. She saw that I could be a role model and that’s what kickstarted my interest. Being a black deaf person in audiology, I’m already changing perceptions and that’s what I want to do. I’m already making little waves that hopefully become bigger waves.”

Crystal Rolfe, Director of Strategy at RNID, said:

“1 in 5 adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss, yet our research shows that every day people face negative attitudes and behaviours at work, when they’re out shopping, and even from their families.

“The impact of this can be huge: making people feel excluded, lonely, and disrespected, and destroying their confidence. Often it causes people to withdraw, to avoid others, and even hide that they are deaf or have hearing loss.

“We want people across the UK to stand with us and say that the way deaf people and people with hearing loss are treated really does matter. We know the public want to know how to do this, so we’re urging people to head to the RNID website for easy tips on good communication, and some free videos to learn basic phrases in BSL.”

RNID is urging everyone to follow three simple tips to make conversations with deaf people and people with hearing loss easier:

1. Get my attention – gently tap my shoulder or make eye contact so I know you want to chat.
2. Face me – please face me when you talk to me. Lots of people rely on lipreading to some degree to understand.
3. Be patient – don’t be afraid to repeat or rephrase and try something different.  

To receive free deaf awareness tips, simple BSL videos to learn basic phrases, and find out about small changes you can make at home, in the workplace and out and about, visit rnid.org.uk