Why do smart businesses provide accessibility for their customers who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing?

1. People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing represent a large group with voting and spending power:

• There are 2.9 million Canadians living with a physical disability that impairs their mobility, vision, or hearing, representing 10 per cent of the country’s population.
• That number will rise by 1.8 per cent annually over the next 13 years, nearly double the pace of the population as a whole.
• Real spending by this group is set to rise from $165 billion in 2017 to $316 billion in 2030, increasing from 14 to 21 per cent of the total consumer market.

The Conference Board of Canada
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-Library/abstract.aspx?did=9434&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

2. Providing accessibility to customers improves a companies image:

• The aging Boomer population is adding to the number of PWD (people with disability) daily.
•  Boomers’ control a larger share of the national wealth than any previous generation.
• In Canada, PWDs and their friends and families add up to twelve million people, more than a third of our population, with total disposable income in excess of $311 billion.
• Product development and customer-centered messaging learned from PWDs can drive a company’s return on investment through enhanced ease of use and stronger brand connection.
• Consumers feel strongly about something, like disability, then they identify strongly with brands that meet those emotional needs.

http://adage.com/article/viewpoint/marketing-people-disabilities-missing/110797/

3. Businesses who create barriers to customers who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing reduce profits and decrease the quality of life for people in your community:
     Effects of Hearing Loss can include:

• Withdrawal/Social Isolation
• Embarassment
• Depression
• Poor service experience/bad word of mouth advertising
• Misunderstanding of important messages your business wants to deliver (e.g., legal, financial, health)

4. Businesses will be required by Federal and Provincial Accessibility laws to comply with creating a space that is accessible for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. For more information, check out our 'Accessibility Laws' resource page above. 

​Accessible Hearing Solutions  helps improve accessibility by providing businesses with site assessments. Site assessments educate organizations about the best ways to improve communication and understanding in locations such as counter-service areas, meeting rooms, and auditoriums. Our assessments provide a written report detailing communication areas that are causing barriers and the best ways to improve accessibility for your customers or clients.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].