Shop owners in Glasgow are risking legal action by failing to provide services for customers with hearing problems.

The warning comes after a study revealed 84% of businesses did not have the correct technology to help customers with hearing aids communicate. The Royal National Institute for the Deaf found the majority of 156 businesses they surveyed did not have operational ‘induction loops’.

The device helps users hear conversations by amplifying speech over background noise. The report found 64% of the businesses they questioned did not have an induction loop system while 11 loops were not turned on. Other problems were caused by staff lacking the appropriate training to operate the system.

The RNID said a failure to provide customers with the correct technology was leaving businesses open to legal action under new disability laws.

Delia Henry, director of RNID Scotland, said: “Glasgow is a wonderful city for shopping so we think many businesses will be disappointed to learn that, by failing to provide a fully operational induction loop, they have an unnecessary communication barrier deterring people with hearing aids from buying their products.

“According to the Disability Discrimination Act, service providers must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to allow access to disabled people. They’re leaving themselves open to legal action which could easily be avoided.”

Liz Ann O’Hare, who took part in the research, said: “Loop systems are fantastic for customers like me who are hard of hearing because they amplify the shop assistants’ speech.”