How Bluetooth is creating a more accessible world

Collage of three images: a person using a laptop at a desk and adjusting the controls on their smart wheelchair, a hand holding a Bluetooth enabled hearing aid, and an audience watching a live stage performance in a theatre.

Prioritizing accessibility fosters inclusion, innovation, and equitability. However, environments, technologies, and services must be designed to remove barriers and provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of physical, sensory, cognitive, or other impairments.

Bluetooth innovations like Bluetooth® LE Audio and Auracast™ broadcast audio are enhancing accessibility and improving audio quality for all. Bluetooth® LE Audio ensures superior sound quality, reduces power consumption, and enables seamless connectivity across audio devices, particularly hearing aids and wireless headphones. Auracast™ broadcasts revolutionize audio in public spaces, enabling assistive listening and allowing users to connect directly to a venue’s sound system like those in airports, cinemas, theaters, stadiums, and more — enhancing listening experiences for every visitor.

people will have some degree of hearing loss by 2050, and more than 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation

Source: WHO, 2025

in potential annual global costs due to unaddressed hearing loss

Source: WHO, 2025

“Auracast™ broadcast audio and Bluetooth® LE Audio are game changers when it comes to making the world more accessible and inclusive for people with hearing loss. Bluetooth® LE Audio offers amazing sound quality and connects seamlessly with hearing aids, while Auracast™ broadcasts transform how we experience audio in public spaces, making it easier for people to enjoy events in theatres and cinemas and navigate places like airports and public spaces. By focusing on designing technologies and services that break down barriers, we are opening up opportunities for everyone, no matter their challenges.”

Thomas Olsgaard, GN Resound

Hearing aids

Bluetooth® hearing aids and assistive listening solutions allow you to use your hearing devices to connect to Auracast™ audio sources, enhancing engagement and allowing you to fully enjoy everyday conversations and activities.

Bluetooth® hearing aids and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids will ship annually by 2029

Source: ABI Research, 2025

Professionals in business attire sit together in a meeting; a Bluetooth enabled hearing aid is worn by one attendee who is smiling and engaged with coworkers.

Auracast™ transmitters

Auracast™ transmitters (e.g., smartphones, tablets, public address and sound systems, etc.) enable all types of public locations — from large venues such as airports and conference centers to smaller establishments such as gymnasiums, cinemas, and houses of worship — to deliver audio experiences that will enhance visitor satisfaction and increase accessibility.

public venues will be transformed into Auracast™ locations, making inclusive listening experiences widely accessible by 2029

Source: ABI Research, 2025

Bluetooth® LE Audio devices will ship annually by 2029

Source: ABI Research, 2025

Auracast™ receivers

The Bluetooth SIG expects support for Auracast™ broadcast audio will soon become a standard feature on all mainstream Bluetooth audio products (e.g., headsets, earbuds, hearing aids, etc.) allowing users to tune into audio broadcasts in public venues, eliminating barriers and enhancing listening experiences in public spaces for all. You can also invite others to share in your personal audio experience; your friends and family can use their Auracast™ headsets, earbuds, hearing aids, etc. to tune into audio broadcasted from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Real-world Auracast™ locations

See how forward-thinking venues are already putting Auracast™️broadcast audio into action—bringing next-generation audio experiences to life today.

“Bluetooth® audio solutions help deliver immersive and inclusive consumer experiences. Superior music and voice quality, industry-leading low latency, hearing enhancement, and personalization, all supported by seamless connectivity and low power consumption, help users interact with the world in new ways.”

Dino Bekis, VP and general manager of wearables and mixed-signal solutions, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

SPOTLIGHT

More than audio for all

Physical accessibility

Bluetooth technology is transforming how people with mobility challenges interact with the world around them.

  • Smart wheelchairs equipped with Bluetooth technology allow users to adjust their seating and navigate their environments with greater ease—freeing them to move with more control and comfort in everyday life.

  • Bluetooth enabled joysticks improve mobility for individuals with limited motor function, supporting smoother, more responsive control.

  • Bluetooth wearables detect falls and trigger medical alerts, giving users and caregivers peace of mind and enabling faster emergency response when it matters most.

Bluetooth technology is helping individuals move more freely, live more independently, and engage more confidently in their environments.

Visual accessibility

Bluetooth technology is opening new doors for people who are blind or have low vision by connecting assistive technologies to the digital world.

  • Bluetooth screen readers pair with smartphones and computers to translate text into braille, making digital content more accessible and inclusive.

  • Bluetooth enabled smart glasses go further, offering object and text recognition with audio descriptions delivered through earpieces—bringing greater context and awareness to everyday tasks.

By powering the tools that help people see with sound and touch, Bluetooth is helping individuals navigate, learn, and experience the world with more confidence and independence.

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