How To Design For (And With) Deaf People - Smashing Magazine

"Practical UX guidelines to keep in mind for 466 million people who experience hearing loss. More design patterns in Smart Interface Design Patterns, a friendly video course on UX and design patterns by Vitaly. When we think about people who are deaf, we often assume stereotypes, such as "disabled" older adults with hearing aids. However, this perception is far from the truth and often leads to poor decisions and broken products. Let's look at when and how deafness emerges, and how to design better experiences for people with hearing loss."

"Deafness Is A Spectrum Deafness spans a broad continuum, from minor to profound hearing loss. Around 90-95% of deaf people come from hearing families, and deafness often isn't merely a condition that people are born with. It frequently occurs due to exposure to loud noises, and it also emerges with age, disease, and accidents. The loudness of sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). Everybody is on the spectrum of deafness, from normal hearing (up to 15 dB) to profound hearing loss (91+ dB):"

Deafness exists along a spectrum from slight to profound hearing loss and affects 466 million people worldwide. Hearing loss often results from noise exposure, age, disease, or accidents rather than only being congenital. Decibel (dB) thresholds correlate with communication ability: normal hearing (up to 15 dB), slight (16–25 dB), mild (26–40 dB), moderate (41–55 dB), moderately severe (56–70 dB), severe (71–90 dB), and profound (91+ dB). Functional impacts include missed speech at varying distances and inability to hear common household noises. UX must avoid audio-only cues and include captions, transcripts, visual alerts, adjustable volume, clear visuals, and assistive-technology compatibility.

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