Louder than Words Charter

Show your commitment to improving access to your business for people with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss by achieving the Louder than Words Charter – a nationally-recognised accreditation awarded to deaf-friendly organisations.

Benefits for your business

Most businesses are not making the most of the £200 billion in potential spending power of disabled people. With the Louder than Words Charter, you’ll attract new customers, increase revenue, reduce staff turnover, demonstrate corporate social responsibility, meet your legal obligations and more.

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How to get accredited

Step 1 – Benchmark report

We look at the accessibility of your business to staff and customers with hearing loss and benchmark you against 10 key criteria. You’ll receive a report showing where you already demonstrate good practice, and an action plan for making improvements.

Step 2 – Apply recommendations

We provide continued support to help you apply the recommendations outlined in the action plan, within an agreed timeframe.

Step 3 – Audit and accreditation

At the end of the agreed timeframe, we carry out an audit to see if you meet our 10 key criteria. If you’re successful, we’ll award the Louder than Words Charter and you’ll join a growing number of organisations that are making hearing loss a priority.

More about our accreditation

What are the 10 key criteria in the benchmark report?

We use the following quality standards to determine the accessibility of your business for people who are deaf or have hearing loss:

Train staff to communicate with customers
Have clear and visible deaf aware policies
Provide clear information about your products and services
Use appropriate equipment and maintain it correctly
Create a good listening environment
Produce and follow clear health and safety procedures
Meet requests for communication support whenever requested
Offer a range of contact methods and be comfortable using them
Consult customers and staff with hearing loss
Be open about your employment practices

How long is the accreditation valid for?

It’s valid for one year. We invite you to undertake a self-audit annually, with an onsite audit in alternating years.

How much does it cost to achieve the Louder than Words Charter?

The Louder than Words accreditation process is tailored to your specific requirements, so changes vary. Please contact us for more details.

Why choose Action on Hearing Loss?

With more than 100 years’ experience, we’re the market leader in providing information and support to people with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. Our expert team of consultants are here to help your organisation address its accessibility issues in order to deliver the best possible experience to employees and customers with hearing loss.

Want to find out more about our accreditation? Get in touch