Require Equal Access to Spoken Information for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
Require Equal Access to Spoken Information for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
The Issue
Require Equal Access to Spoken Information for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
Make Modern Technology Accessible to Everyone
To lawmakers, government agencies, transportation authorities, businesses, technology companies, manufacturers, broadcasters, churches, and organizations responsible for accessibility standards:
I am starting this petition because I believe Deaf and hard-of-hearing people should not have to depend on another person to tell them information they cannot hear.
Technology has advanced tremendously, yet too many everyday situations still depend on spoken communication without providing an equally effective visual or text-based alternative.
If information is important enough to communicate, it is important enough to make accessible.
We are asking for accessibility standards to be strengthened and modernized so that Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can independently receive important information and communicate with others.
AIRPORTS AND AIRPLANES
Airports and airlines should provide real-time visual access to important spoken announcements, including:
Gate changes
Boarding announcements
Delays and cancellations
Flight changes
Final boarding announcements
Connecting-flight information
Baggage information
Emergency announcements
Important announcements made by pilots and flight attendants
A passenger should not have to find an employee or another person to discover what was just announced over a speaker.
When a hearing passenger receives important information through an announcement, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing passenger should have an equally effective way to receive that information.
BUILDING INTERCOMS
Buildings that use intercoms or audio communication systems should provide an accessible visual or text-based alternative.
This should include:
Apartment and condominium buildings
Office buildings
Schools
Hospitals
Government buildings
Businesses
Parking garages
Security entrances
A person should be able to communicate through an intercom without having to hear the other person.
Real-time text communication, captioning, or another equally effective technology should be available.
DRIVE-THROUGHS
Drive-through businesses should provide an accessible alternative to audio-only speaker systems.
This should include restaurants, pharmacies, banks, and other businesses using drive-through communication.
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing customer should be able to:
Read the employee’s questions
Enter or communicate an order or request
See confirmation of the order
Receive instructions
Complete the transaction independently
A screen providing two-way text communication, a mobile application, or another equally effective technology could provide this access.
A person should not have to leave their vehicle and enter the building simply because they cannot hear the drive-through speaker.
VEHICLE GPS AND NAVIGATION
Vehicle GPS and navigation systems should provide important spoken instructions visually in real time.
This should include:
Turn instructions
Exit instructions
Route changes
“Recalculating route” notifications
Road closures
Traffic warnings
Accident warnings
Destination information
Other safety-related alerts
If a GPS speaks an important instruction to a hearing driver, the same information should be clearly displayed for a Deaf or hard-of-hearing driver.
TELEVISION AND LIVE BROADCASTS
Television captioning needs to continue improving, particularly for live programming.
Captions should be:
Accurate
Timely
Properly synchronized
Easy to read
Clear about who is speaking
Able to keep up with live programming
This is especially important for:
Live news
Emergency broadcasts
Weather warnings
Sports
Breaking news
Public announcements
Live events
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing viewer should not have to wait significantly longer than a hearing viewer to understand important information.
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
When a product communicates important information through a spoken voice, it should also provide that information visually.
This should include products such as:
Cordless mops
Vacuum cleaners
Washing machines
Dryers
Ovens
Dishwashers
Security systems
Smart-home devices
Other voice-enabled appliances and electronics
For example, if an appliance says:
“Battery is low,” “Charging,” “Water tank is empty,” or “Cleaning complete,”
the same information should be available through a display, visual notification, smartphone application, or another accessible method.
Technology should not create an accessibility barrier simply because a manufacturer chose voice communication.
STORES AND PUBLIC PLACES
Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers may rely on:
FaceTime
Video calls
Real-time captioning
Speech-to-text applications
Remote interpreting services
Other communication technology
However, these services may become difficult or impossible to use when cellular service is poor inside a building and no Wi-Fi is available.
We ask businesses, churches, and other public-facing facilities to provide reliable Wi-Fi or another practical accessible communication option where reasonably feasible.
Churches should provide Wi-Fi so Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can use captioning applications on their phones to follow sermons, announcements, Bible readings, prayers, and other spoken information during services and church events.
This would allow people to communicate independently with employees, staff members, clergy, volunteers, and customer-service representatives.
A person should not have to leave a store, church, or other facility, search for a cellular signal, or find another person to communicate on their behalf.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EMERGENCIES
Important announcements in public places should be accompanied by visual or text-based information whenever reasonably possible.
This should include:
Emergency announcements
Evacuation instructions
Safety warnings
Public transportation announcements
Hospital announcements
School announcements
Government facilities
Stores and shopping centers
Churches and houses of worship
Sporting and entertainment venues
Public-address systems
Safety information should never depend solely on a person’s ability to hear.
EQUAL ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION
The purpose of this petition is not to require every organization to use one particular technology.
Technology will continue to change, and different situations may require different solutions.
The goal is simple:
When important information is communicated through sound, there should be an equally effective accessible way for a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person to receive and understand that information.
Possible solutions include:
Real-time captions
Text displays
Two-way text communication
Smartphone applications
Visual alerts
Digital screens
Accessible Wi-Fi
Speech-to-text technology
Other emerging accessibility technologies
OUR REQUEST
We respectfully ask lawmakers, government agencies, transportation authorities, businesses, churches, manufacturers, technology companies, broadcasters, and other organizations to work together to strengthen and modernize accessibility standards.
We ask that they:
Expand access to real-time captioning and visual information.
Ensure important airport and airplane announcements are accessible.
Provide visual or text alternatives to building intercom systems.
Provide accessible communication options for drive-through services.
Make spoken GPS and navigation instructions available visually.
Improve the accuracy and timeliness of live television captions.
Encourage accessible visual alternatives for voice-enabled appliances and electronic devices.
Promote reliable communication options, including Wi-Fi where reasonably feasible, in public-facing businesses, churches, and other facilities.
Encourage churches and houses of worship to provide Wi-Fi so people can use captioning applications on their phones during services and events.
Ensure emergency and safety announcements are accessible.
Include Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the development and testing of accessibility standards.
Ensure accessibility requirements keep pace with modern technology.
WHY THIS MATTERS
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should not have to depend on a family member, friend, employee, clergy member, volunteer, stranger, or interpreter simply to know what was announced or what a device is saying.
They should not miss a flight because a gate changed.
They should not be unable to use a drive-through because the communication system is voice-only.
They should not be unable to communicate with a store employee, church staff member, or clergy member because there is no cellular service or Wi-Fi.
They should not be unable to follow a church service, sermon, announcement, prayer, or Bible reading because captioning applications cannot connect to the internet.
They should not miss important television information because live captions are unavailable, inaccurate, or significantly delayed.
They should not be unable to understand an appliance because it communicates only by voice.
And they should not be placed at greater risk because an emergency warning was communicated only through sound.
Equal access to information is about independence, safety, dignity, faith, participation, and inclusion.
Technology already provides many of the tools needed to make this possible. Accessibility standards should keep pace with that technology.
OUR COMMITMENT
By signing this petition, we are asking decision-makers and industry leaders to recognize that accessibility must extend beyond traditional accommodations and into the technology people use every day.
If a hearing person can receive important information, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have an equally effective way to receive it.
If a hearing person can communicate independently, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have the opportunity to communicate independently as well.
If a hearing person can participate in a church service or public event, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have an equally effective way to participate.
We respectfully ask you to support this effort to make information and communication more accessible, independent, timely, and equal for everyone.
Please sign and share this petition.
98
The Issue
Require Equal Access to Spoken Information for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
Make Modern Technology Accessible to Everyone
To lawmakers, government agencies, transportation authorities, businesses, technology companies, manufacturers, broadcasters, churches, and organizations responsible for accessibility standards:
I am starting this petition because I believe Deaf and hard-of-hearing people should not have to depend on another person to tell them information they cannot hear.
Technology has advanced tremendously, yet too many everyday situations still depend on spoken communication without providing an equally effective visual or text-based alternative.
If information is important enough to communicate, it is important enough to make accessible.
We are asking for accessibility standards to be strengthened and modernized so that Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can independently receive important information and communicate with others.
AIRPORTS AND AIRPLANES
Airports and airlines should provide real-time visual access to important spoken announcements, including:
Gate changes
Boarding announcements
Delays and cancellations
Flight changes
Final boarding announcements
Connecting-flight information
Baggage information
Emergency announcements
Important announcements made by pilots and flight attendants
A passenger should not have to find an employee or another person to discover what was just announced over a speaker.
When a hearing passenger receives important information through an announcement, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing passenger should have an equally effective way to receive that information.
BUILDING INTERCOMS
Buildings that use intercoms or audio communication systems should provide an accessible visual or text-based alternative.
This should include:
Apartment and condominium buildings
Office buildings
Schools
Hospitals
Government buildings
Businesses
Parking garages
Security entrances
A person should be able to communicate through an intercom without having to hear the other person.
Real-time text communication, captioning, or another equally effective technology should be available.
DRIVE-THROUGHS
Drive-through businesses should provide an accessible alternative to audio-only speaker systems.
This should include restaurants, pharmacies, banks, and other businesses using drive-through communication.
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing customer should be able to:
Read the employee’s questions
Enter or communicate an order or request
See confirmation of the order
Receive instructions
Complete the transaction independently
A screen providing two-way text communication, a mobile application, or another equally effective technology could provide this access.
A person should not have to leave their vehicle and enter the building simply because they cannot hear the drive-through speaker.
VEHICLE GPS AND NAVIGATION
Vehicle GPS and navigation systems should provide important spoken instructions visually in real time.
This should include:
Turn instructions
Exit instructions
Route changes
“Recalculating route” notifications
Road closures
Traffic warnings
Accident warnings
Destination information
Other safety-related alerts
If a GPS speaks an important instruction to a hearing driver, the same information should be clearly displayed for a Deaf or hard-of-hearing driver.
TELEVISION AND LIVE BROADCASTS
Television captioning needs to continue improving, particularly for live programming.
Captions should be:
Accurate
Timely
Properly synchronized
Easy to read
Clear about who is speaking
Able to keep up with live programming
This is especially important for:
Live news
Emergency broadcasts
Weather warnings
Sports
Breaking news
Public announcements
Live events
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing viewer should not have to wait significantly longer than a hearing viewer to understand important information.
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
When a product communicates important information through a spoken voice, it should also provide that information visually.
This should include products such as:
Cordless mops
Vacuum cleaners
Washing machines
Dryers
Ovens
Dishwashers
Security systems
Smart-home devices
Other voice-enabled appliances and electronics
For example, if an appliance says:
“Battery is low,” “Charging,” “Water tank is empty,” or “Cleaning complete,”
the same information should be available through a display, visual notification, smartphone application, or another accessible method.
Technology should not create an accessibility barrier simply because a manufacturer chose voice communication.
STORES AND PUBLIC PLACES
Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers may rely on:
FaceTime
Video calls
Real-time captioning
Speech-to-text applications
Remote interpreting services
Other communication technology
However, these services may become difficult or impossible to use when cellular service is poor inside a building and no Wi-Fi is available.
We ask businesses, churches, and other public-facing facilities to provide reliable Wi-Fi or another practical accessible communication option where reasonably feasible.
Churches should provide Wi-Fi so Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can use captioning applications on their phones to follow sermons, announcements, Bible readings, prayers, and other spoken information during services and church events.
This would allow people to communicate independently with employees, staff members, clergy, volunteers, and customer-service representatives.
A person should not have to leave a store, church, or other facility, search for a cellular signal, or find another person to communicate on their behalf.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EMERGENCIES
Important announcements in public places should be accompanied by visual or text-based information whenever reasonably possible.
This should include:
Emergency announcements
Evacuation instructions
Safety warnings
Public transportation announcements
Hospital announcements
School announcements
Government facilities
Stores and shopping centers
Churches and houses of worship
Sporting and entertainment venues
Public-address systems
Safety information should never depend solely on a person’s ability to hear.
EQUAL ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION
The purpose of this petition is not to require every organization to use one particular technology.
Technology will continue to change, and different situations may require different solutions.
The goal is simple:
When important information is communicated through sound, there should be an equally effective accessible way for a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person to receive and understand that information.
Possible solutions include:
Real-time captions
Text displays
Two-way text communication
Smartphone applications
Visual alerts
Digital screens
Accessible Wi-Fi
Speech-to-text technology
Other emerging accessibility technologies
OUR REQUEST
We respectfully ask lawmakers, government agencies, transportation authorities, businesses, churches, manufacturers, technology companies, broadcasters, and other organizations to work together to strengthen and modernize accessibility standards.
We ask that they:
Expand access to real-time captioning and visual information.
Ensure important airport and airplane announcements are accessible.
Provide visual or text alternatives to building intercom systems.
Provide accessible communication options for drive-through services.
Make spoken GPS and navigation instructions available visually.
Improve the accuracy and timeliness of live television captions.
Encourage accessible visual alternatives for voice-enabled appliances and electronic devices.
Promote reliable communication options, including Wi-Fi where reasonably feasible, in public-facing businesses, churches, and other facilities.
Encourage churches and houses of worship to provide Wi-Fi so people can use captioning applications on their phones during services and events.
Ensure emergency and safety announcements are accessible.
Include Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the development and testing of accessibility standards.
Ensure accessibility requirements keep pace with modern technology.
WHY THIS MATTERS
A Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should not have to depend on a family member, friend, employee, clergy member, volunteer, stranger, or interpreter simply to know what was announced or what a device is saying.
They should not miss a flight because a gate changed.
They should not be unable to use a drive-through because the communication system is voice-only.
They should not be unable to communicate with a store employee, church staff member, or clergy member because there is no cellular service or Wi-Fi.
They should not be unable to follow a church service, sermon, announcement, prayer, or Bible reading because captioning applications cannot connect to the internet.
They should not miss important television information because live captions are unavailable, inaccurate, or significantly delayed.
They should not be unable to understand an appliance because it communicates only by voice.
And they should not be placed at greater risk because an emergency warning was communicated only through sound.
Equal access to information is about independence, safety, dignity, faith, participation, and inclusion.
Technology already provides many of the tools needed to make this possible. Accessibility standards should keep pace with that technology.
OUR COMMITMENT
By signing this petition, we are asking decision-makers and industry leaders to recognize that accessibility must extend beyond traditional accommodations and into the technology people use every day.
If a hearing person can receive important information, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have an equally effective way to receive it.
If a hearing person can communicate independently, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have the opportunity to communicate independently as well.
If a hearing person can participate in a church service or public event, a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person should have an equally effective way to participate.
We respectfully ask you to support this effort to make information and communication more accessible, independent, timely, and equal for everyone.
Please sign and share this petition.
Petition Updates
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Petition created on September 20, 2026