UK charity Stagetext, which provides captioning and live subtitling in theatres and cultural venues, has urged those providing virtual lockdown events to ensure they are accessible for the 12 million with hearing loss.
The organisation reported an increase in demand for live captioned performances online since the first national lockdown, and found being able to access entertainment was a lifeline for many isolated deaf people.Melanie Sharpe, chief executive of Stagetext, said: “People who are deaf or with hearing loss are more likely to experience loneliness than non-disabled people, and access to the arts has been proven to improve mental wellbeing.” She continued: “We take for granted that most of us are able to enjoy incredible.