Podcasts are quickly becoming a major part of the American media diet, with more than 100 million people listening to them regularly.
But a large group of content consumers is being left out. At least 37 million adults in the US have trouble hearing, and that’s not counting people who might struggle to understand audio content because they’re not native English speakers.
Kahlimah Jones, a frustrated deaf consumer, sued podcast network Gimlet Media earlier this year, arguing the company’s website is equivalent to a restaurant or a pharmacy, and should therefore provide accommodations to people with disabilities under the American with Disabilities Act or the ADA.