Audio Accessibility

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Deaf-owned consulting services to help increase audience and ROI for your business. Audio Accessibility was founded by Svetlana Kouznetsova (Sveta).

She has been providing professional consulting services for over 10 years to a wide variety of businesses on how they may better reach 466 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the world. Sveta became profoundly deaf from meningitis at age 2. She has had to use various alternative solutions to effectively navigate communication and information barriers throughout her life. Sveta is a former hearing aid user, a current cochlear implant user, a native Russian speaker, a fluent ASL user, and can communicate in at least 5 languages. Captions on TV changed Sveta's life when she was 15 years. They played a major role in helping her master English as her third language and access aural information in the same language. Since then Sveta cannot imagine her life without captioning access. She has also interacted with many deaf and hard of hearing people from all walks of life. Many people think that deafness is a weakness, but Sveta has proven them otherwise through her consulting and international speaking. You can request a consulting service, training session, or speaking engagement on https://audio-accessibility.com. Looking forward to working with you!

10/22/2026

Are employers overlooking qualified talent while tolerating poor performance?

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Value and Talent.”

Here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately.

In my everyday interactions with businesses and organizations, I frequently encounter employees who fail to follow through, communicate effectively, take responsibility, or provide satisfactory customer service.

As a deaf customer, I often find myself spending unnecessary time following up, correcting mistakes, and reminding people to do their jobs — on top of dealing with ongoing accessibility barriers.

Yet qualified professionals with disabilities continue to face barriers to employment because many employers question their ability to perform effectively.

Does anyone else see the irony?

Employers may hesitate to hire someone because they are deaf, blind, use a wheelchair, or have another disability, yet poor performance among existing employees without disabilities is often tolerated.

Disability does not determine competence. Neither does the absence of a disability.

What matters is a person’s qualifications, skills, work ethic, professionalism, and ability to deliver results.

As a deaf accessibility strategy consultant, I’ve spent years advising organizations on creating more inclusive customer experiences and workplaces. I’ve also seen how assumptions about disability can overshadow someone’s actual capabilities.

It’s time for employers to stop focusing on what people with disabilities supposedly cannot do and start recognizing what qualified professionals can contribute.

True disability inclusion isn’t just about celebrating awareness months or publishing statements about diversity.

It’s about removing barriers, recognizing talent, providing equal opportunities, and holding everyone to the same professional standards.

Is your organization ready to move beyond awareness and put inclusion into practice?

I offer customized consulting, training, and interactive workshops on digital accessibility, Deaf Awareness, and inclusive customer experiences. Contact me to discuss how we can work together.

10/20/2026

We're proud to share that the Cochlear Nucleus Nexa System has been named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026.

As the world's first and only smart cochlear implant system, the Nucleus Nexa System was designed to help bring future innovation to recipients through upgradeable technology within the implant itself. This recognition reflects our commitment to continually advancing hearing technology and creating better outcomes for people with hearing loss.

Learn more about the recognition and the technology behind Nucleus Nexa: https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/corporate/media-center/media-releases/2026/cochlear-nucleus-nexa-system-named-one-of-times-best-inventions-of-2026

10/19/2026

It’s Invisible Disabilities Week.

Disability isn’t limited to wheelchair use, and not all disabilities are visible. Hearing, visual, and cognitive disabilities may not be apparent to others.

Deafness is an invisible disability. I’m deaf, and I also have some balance issues caused by meningitis. I feel wary of stairs and steep inclines. I carefully watch each step, stay near a handrail, and move slowly.

It’s frustrating when people assume that because I look relatively young, I don’t have a disability — or that I don’t need to be cautious on stairs.

It’s also frustrating when people don’t believe that I’m deaf because I can speak. Being able to speak does not mean being able to hear. You don’t need to have typical hearing to speak. Even profoundly deaf people can speak.

Please don’t assume that someone is being difficult, overly cautious, or taking the “easy” option. You cannot always see the reason behind a person’s choices.

Accessibility means creating environments where people can move around, communicate, and participate safely — without having to explain or defend their needs.

Visible or invisible, disability is part of the human experience. Listening to and believing people matters.

10/17/2026

What do Asians have to do with AI? 🤔

I was recently following presentations about artificial intelligence through automatic captions when I noticed the word “Asian” appearing repeatedly.

I was puzzled. Why did the speakers keep talking about Asians in a discussion about AI?

Then it clicked. 💡

The speakers were saying “agent,” but the automatic captions kept displaying “Asian”! 😂

The two words sound similar, but their meanings are completely different.

It’s a funny example, but it illustrates a serious accessibility issue.

Automatic captions can turn an entire conversation into something completely different. And when you’re deaf and relying on captions to follow a discussion, you may not realize that something has been mistranscribed.

This is why captioning accuracy matters. Having captions available doesn’t automatically mean communication is accessible.

Accessibility isn’t just about providing a feature. It’s about making sure that feature actually works for the people who rely on it.

I advise organizations on digital accessibility, captioning best practices, and customer experience, offering customized consulting and training to bridge the gap between accessibility compliance and real-world experiences.

If your organization wants to improve captioning quality and create more accessible communication experiences, I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work together.

10/13/2026

Can your customers understand what you want them to do next?

Today is International Plain Language Day, a reminder to examine the language we use across the customer experience.

Think about your organization’s forms, booking instructions, billing notices, error messages, and customer service responses:

❇️ Do they answer the customer’s questions clearly?
❇️ Can customers find the information they need?
❇️ Do they know what to do next?

For example:

“Failure to remit payment prior to the specified deadline may result in service discontinuation.”

Or:

“Please pay by October 20 to keep your service active.”

The second version makes the action, deadline, and consequence clear.

Plain language is part of accessibility. It can reduce barriers for people with cognitive disabilities, people reading in a second language, and anyone navigating unfamiliar information or a stressful situation.

As a deaf customer, I rely heavily on written communication. Providing information in writing matters. Making that information clear and usable matters, too.

Clear communication takes more than replacing a few complicated words. It requires understanding your audience, organizing information around their needs, and checking whether they can use it.

If your organization wants to strengthen accessibility across its customer experience, contact me about my consulting and customized training services.

10/07/2026

A recent announcement from MED-EL about its totally implantable cochlear implant (TICI) caught my attention — and gave me mixed feelings about where CI technology may be heading.

I understand why a TICI could be exciting for some CI users. Having no external processor may offer benefits some people would value.

Personally, I don't want one.

More importantly, I hope TICIs become another option, rather than replacing the traditional 2-part CI.

There are already well over a million CI users worldwide with traditional 2-part systems. As totally implantable technology develops, I hope those of us who prefer external, replaceable and upgradeable components continue to have that choice.

Innovation should expand our options — not take existing options away.

This is important to me because I am already facing the consequences of long-term technology support.

I received my Advanced Bionics (AB) Clarion C1 implant in 1998. My internal implant still works 28 years later, but AB has suddenly discontinued support for compatible external processors. In contrast, Cochlear has continued providing external processor options for users of its older Nucleus 22 implant.

That experience has changed the way I think about my eventual revision surgery.

I hope that after my revision, I will never need another CI surgery. I want the implanted components to remain safely in place while I continue upgrading external processors as technology evolves — becoming smaller and lighter, with longer-lasting batteries.

That is one reason a TICI does not appeal to me.

Putting a rechargeable battery, microphone and more electronics inside my head raises questions about long-term reliability. Rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan. When an internal battery reaches the end of its life, it may not be a matter of simply replacing the battery — the whole implanted system may need to be replaced. The same concern applies if an implanted microphone or another component fails.

That could mean more surgeries over a lifetime than with a traditional 2-part CI, where these components remain external and replaceable.

For me, avoiding future surgeries — especially repeated replacement of an implant that interfaces with the cochlea — matters far more than eliminating an external processor.

Other CI manufacturers are researching totally implantable technology. That makes the question bigger than any one manufacturer:

Will the future of CIs continue to offer meaningful choices?

I hope so.

There is a place for TICIs for people who want them. But I hope manufacturers continue investing in traditional 2-part CIs — including long-term backward compatibility and processor upgrades for implants that may remain functional for decades.

Innovation shouldn't mean everyone moving toward the same solution.

For me, the ideal future is simple: implant once, keep it for life, and let the technology outside my head continue to evolve.

10/05/2026

Can your customers access your service — from finding information online to contacting your team and visiting your location?

This Customer Service Week, let’s consider whether accessibility is integrated throughout the customer experience.

A website may prevent a customer with a disability from finding information or completing a transaction. A business may tell a deaf customer to “call us” or overlook their communication needs during an in-person visit.

Each barrier affects the customer’s ability to get the service they need.

Web accessibility must account for customers with various disabilities.

For deaf and hard of hearing customers, accessible customer service requires attention to:

• Online information
• Telecommunications
• Branch and brick-and-mortar services

Deafness is a spectrum, with various communication needs and preferences. One approach cannot accommodate everyone.

Compliance provides a baseline. Customers’ actual experiences often reveal gaps between meeting requirements and providing accessible service. Addressing these gaps requires coordination across customer experience leadership, marketing, IT and digital, telecommunications, and operations. Guidance from an experienced accessibility consultant like myself and meaningful engagement with customers with disabilities are also essential.

I advise businesses through consulting, customized training, and interactive workshops. My specializations include web accessibility for customers with various disabilities, deafness awareness, and captioning and transcription best practices.

I work with corporations, retailers, banks, medical facilities, airlines and airports, public transit providers, hospitality and tourism businesses, and other customer-facing organizations.

Contact me to discuss consulting and training to strengthen accessibility across your customer experience.

10/02/2026

October is National Book Month! 📚

My book, Sound Is Not Enough, is 15% off in the Blurb Bookstore from October 2–4 with code SPOOKYBOOK15.

Deafness is a spectrum. My book explores practical ways businesses can make communication accessible to deaf and hard of hearing customers — from captions and transcripts to announcements provided in text and alternatives to voice phone calls. These practices benefit other customers, too.

📖 Order a print copy for yourself or your team - using the code from above:

Https://www.blurb.com/b/11320440-sound-is-not-enough

💻 Prefer an electronic format? Get it here:

https://audio-accessibility.com/book/

(2026-10-02)

(Image:

National Book Month
Are you:
• a business executive,
• a media producer,
• an event organizer,
• an educator, or
• an employer?
/ SOUND IS NOT ENOUGH:
The Art of Captioning for Universal Access
DUND IS NOT ENOUGH: he Art of Captioning r Universal Access
Paperback code
October 2-4:
SPOOKYBOOK15
Svetlana Kouznetsova
Second Edition
Check out a paper or digital copy on audio-accessibility.com/book/
15% off
audio
ACCESSIBILITY
audio-accessibility.com)

09/30/2026

Today is International Podcast Day and the last day of Deaf Awareness Month.

Podcasts can be audio or video, but many remain inaccessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences. Audio podcasts need transcripts. Video podcasts need both captions AND transcripts.

Some videos have automatic captions, and some podcasts have automatic transcripts, but these often have both accuracy and readability problems.

Adding captions and transcripts is only the starting point. Even accurate text can be difficult to follow.

Captioning best practices require attention to:

• Breaking captions into meaningful chunks, with logical line breaks.

• Font size, color, and contrast.

• Positioning so captions do not obscure important visual content.

• Timing and enough time to read.

• Speaker identification and descriptions of relevant sounds.

Transcripts also need thoughtful formatting, including paragraph breaks, clear speaker identification, and relevant sound descriptions. A wall of text is difficult to navigate.

I offer consulting and training to businesses on captioning and transcription best practices. I do not produce captions or transcripts. Whether your teams create them internally or hire vendors, I advise you on best practices and evaluate your captions and transcripts for readability.

And while Deaf Awareness Month ends today, deafness awareness and communication access need to be part of your everyday business practices, all year round.

Deafness is a spectrum. Different customers use different communication methods, and no single solution provides access for everyone.

That understanding belongs across Customer Experience, Marketing, IT and Digital, Telecommunications, and branch and store operations.

Contact me about customized captioning and transcription training, as well as deafness awareness workshops for your teams.

My book, “Sound Is Not Enough,” also explores communication access for deaf and hard of hearing customers and how these practices benefit others.

(2026-09-30)

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New York, NY

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http://www.audio-accessibility.com/

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