Released to coincide with UK Deaf Awareness Week, which runs from 6 to 12 May, the board has updated its research to find LSB-registered firms have made progress in almost all of the seven key deaf accessibility services highlighted last year.
The research showed that the availability of remote-access British Sign Language (BSL) is now offered by 73% of firms, up from 55% in 2023. Access to lip speaker services, meanwhile, has increased from being available at 36% of firms to 45%.
The availability of note takers has risen from being offered at just 9% of banks and lenders to 45% this year, while enhancements to firms’ digital services, with online BSL translation, are now available through 18% of surveyed registered firms, up from 9% in 2023.
In the UK, one in five adults are deaf, have hearing loss or have tinnitus. Hearing loss affects more than 40% of people over 50 years old and 70% of people over 70.
The LSB’s 2023 research and accompanying report highlighted the challenges deaf people face when accessing financial services.
Emma Lovell, chief executive of the LSB, said: “With around 12 million people in the UK experiencing hearing loss, it’s encouraging to see progress being made across the financial services sector to break down the barriers that many deaf people face when dealing with their banks and lenders.
“While it’s positive that new services are being introduced, there is still further to go, and some accessibility services remain far from universal.”
Lovell said it was “crucial” that team members within firms were aware of the services available to support deaf customers and knew how to use them.
