Testing by different access needs

Hearing access needs

Part of
Accessibility tools and testing collection
Last reviewed
13 August 2026

Tools and techniques to help you identify potential barriers related to hearing access needs.

Hearing access needs

Hearing access needs can affect how people access, understand and respond to information and communication. They can be associated with a range of disabilities, conditions and circumstances, and can affect people in different ways.

Examples include:

  • partial hearing loss, which can reduce hearing ability
  • deafness
  • difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments
  • tinnitus, which can cause ringing or buzzing in the ears
  • ear infections

These are examples rather than a complete list. People with the same condition may have different access needs, and some people may experience hearing barriers without having a diagnosed condition.

Potential barriers

Hearing access needs can affect people in different ways. For example, British Sign Language (BSL) has its own grammar and sentence structure, which are different from English. This means some people whose first or preferred language is BSL may have different needs when accessing written English.

When testing your product or service, consider whether people can:

  • understand audio-only content
  • use the phone
  • access written English, particularly if BSL is their first or preferred language
  • understand low-quality or quiet audio
  • notice audio-only notifications

How to test for potential barriers

Start with automated checks

Automated accessibility tools can help you identify some potential barriers. They cannot identify every accessibility issue, so use them alongside manual checks and testing with people. Automated tools work best when used collectively, so you should use all 3 together.

You can use:

  • ARC Toolkit - automated accessibility checks to identify common WCAG issues
  • axe DevTools - automated accessibility checks to identify common WCAG issues
  • WAVE Evaluation - visual accessibility evaluation to help identify issues in page content, structure and layout

Carry out manual checks

Manual checks can identify issues that automated tools cannot.

Check that:

  • videos use captions or provide transcripts
  • notifications have a visual alternative
  • audio quality is clear
  • volume controls are available
  • content is written in plain language

Use personas to explore potential barriers

Personas can help you consider how people with different access needs might use your service and identify potential barriers to explore during testing. You could use HMRC's accessibility personas as a starting point. Personas are useful for considering potential barriers, but they are not a substitute for testing with real people who use your product or service.

Saleem Deaf user

Saleem is fluent in British Sign Language (BSL). He uses captions and clear content to navigate websites. He needs:

  • plain language and clear, structured content
  • videos with accurate captions
  • communication using BSL if possible

View Saleem's profile and task