Public transport source of "anxiety" for deaf travellers

Charlotte Young, who suffers from hearing loss, says public transport can be a "barrier of anxiety" for those with hearing disabilities A woman with a hearing disability has said using public transport can be a "barrier of anxiety" due to a lack of accessibility across services. New research by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, external said 35% of people who are deaf or have hearing loss avoid using public transport, with more than 76% saying inaccessible information makes travelling stressful. Charlotte Young, from Carlisle, who suffers from hearing loss and runs the Deaf Not Dumb podcast, said she struggled to understand audio announcements whilst using trains. "It really can be a barrier in terms of a layer of anxiety and nervousness of something happening you're not expecting or prepared for," she said. Young said people with hearing disabilities often travelled "on high alert" which can "put a lot of people off". Nearly 79% of hearing disabled passengers said they felt the need to stay "on alert" during journeys, the RNID said, with 41% saying anxiety around travelling limited their independence. Young said she would "much prefer" to travel with a companion, but this could be a struggle due to the rising price of rail fares. "There have been some horrible instances where I've been stranded on a train and not aware of what's going on," she said. "There are more visual displays and British Sign Language, but often the announcements are audio. "To be honest, I don't even know how hearing people can manage with that, it's so muffled and the quality's awful." According to the RNID, 83% of hearing disabled passengers said they build in extra time to make their journeys because they cannot rely on information being accessible to them when travelling. However, Young said some advancements had been made for those with hearing disabilities. She noted Auracast - Bluetooth technology which streams announcements directly into compatible hearing aids and implants - and "captioning glasses", which project real-life subtitles into the user's field of view. "We are starting to make some progress, but in this day and age, it should be far better," Young added. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external and listen to Radio Cumbria on BBC Sounds. Do you have a story suggestion for BBC Cumbria? Disabled transport issues ahead of local elections Deaflympics athletes 'let down' by lack of funding 'Disabled artists need opportunities, not just access'