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What is BSL?

Information About Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

Learn more about what it means to be Deaf or hard of hearing, how many people use BSL, and how communication and access are supported.

Communication

What does deaf or hard of hearing mean? Being deaf means having little or no useful hearing, often from birth or early life. Hard of hearing usually refers to people with some hearing loss, who may use hearing aids and spoken language to communicate.

How many people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing? Over 12 million people in the UK are deaf or have some degree of hearing loss—that's around 1 in 5 adults.

Deaf with a capital 'D' is often a way to distinguish someone's cultural identity, where as deaf with the lowercase 'd' is used to describe the medical condition of hearing loss.

How many people use BSL in the UK? Around 150,000 people in the UK use British Sign Language, including both Deaf people and hearing people who use it to communicate.

Are all deaf people fluent in BSL? Not all deaf people use BSL. Some prefer lip-reading, written English, or spoken language. It depends on personal choice, education, and family background.

How do deaf people watch TV or go to the cinema? Many use subtitles or captions. Some TV programmes have BSL interpreters. Some cinemas offer captioned screenings or showings with BSL interpretation for live events.

What are common ways deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate? Communication methods vary. People may use BSL, lip-reading, speech, written notes, text messages, or technology like speech-to-text apps—whatever suits their needs and preferences.

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