Deaf people 'feel excluded'

Pubs came in for particular criticism

People who are deaf or hard of hearing say poor facilities in cinemas, theatres and bars are making it more difficult for them to enjoy a night out.

New research by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf concludes that many of those surveyed feel excluded from everyday leisure activities.

In Scotland, there are more than 7,000 people who have hearing problems.

Call for more deaf awareness training

The charity said on Wednesday that staff in public places are impatient and sometimes rude and not enough films are shown with subtitles.

The RNID has called for more awareness training and an improvement in facilities across the leisure industry.

Bars and restaurants came in for particular criticism for having too much background noise.

RNID spokeswoman Rachel Fox said: "It is an invisible disability and can lead to misunderstanding on behalf of the general public about the needs and various aspects of deafness.

"But simple deaf awareness training could make a world of difference to deaf and hard of hearing people."

By 2004 it will be law for all services to be fully accessible to those with a disability.

A survey carried out last year by the RNID concluded that five million people in the UK could benefit from a hearing aid, but only two million have them.

The reason most people who needed a test gave for not arranging one was "that they think they might be told they need to wear a hearing aid and do not want to wear one".