London Euston has become the first railway station in the country to provide passenger information using British Sign Language.
Last week, ten passenger information touchscreens, developed in a partnership with Leicester-based British Sign Language company Clarion UK and Nottingham-based screen manufacturer LB Foster, were installed with support for British Sign Language.
Clarion UK’s Sign Language interpreters have created a library of standard messaging as part of the screen software. But in a railway first, its staff will provide passengers with signed information as situations evolve or during periods of unexpected disruption.
Within an hour messaging can be turned into British Sign Language and uploaded directly to the screens remotely by Clarion UK.
A further 10 will be installed by the end of 2021 and an additional large screen will also soon be unveiled beside the arrival and departure boards on the main concourse.
(c) Network Rail
In total £1.1m has been invested by Network Rail to develop the software needed and install the British Sign Language screens at Euston station.
It’s expected that the British Sign Language screens will be rolled out to other Network Rail managed stations later.
This is a great leap forward and is an encouraging sign that civilisation continues apace.
I do wonder however how providing “signed information as situations evolve” sits with “Within an hour messaging can be turned into British Sign Language.” By that time it’s quite possible that the disruption will have passed. Presumably progress on speeding up the delivery will be made, at least I hope so.
Call me a curmudgeon but how long will it be before the bleaters start complaining that it’s racist as it’s not in Gælic, Welsh, French &c?
What’s the point if the information could just be typed onto the screens? Deaf people can read.
What’s the point of having tannoy announcements if the information can be typed onto the screen – hearing people can read.
Having pointed out the fallacy of your argument, this is about inclusiveness, in that no person should feel that travel is “not for them”, by not offering communications in a format they are more familiar with.
Some profoundly deaf people especially those considered themselves as “Deaf” with the capitalised ‘D’, and those who heavily use BSL cannot really read or write English very well (reading age of 7 years old is the average for them even those as grown-up adults, sadly). I blame the educators: “Teachers for the Deaf” in the 19th and 20th century where/when there is NO national curriculum for teaching born-deaf children in deaf schools, and using sign language are often banished in deaf schools, and most of their lessons are broadly based on how to speak properly, little of 3 ‘Rs’ (reading, writing and arithmetic) basic education, and deaf pupils must wear old-fashioned ‘like a pair of large loudspeakers; or even megaphones attached to each ear’, hearing aids (that is so pathetic; due to the inner/middle ear are not well-developed in born-deaf people, even though they can ‘hear’ sounds, they will not ever be able to ‘learn’ how to hear any articulated speech/conversations!) despite how LOUD the “loudspeakers” are!; now in 21st century there are massive upturn (for the better) for deaf children’s education in the “mainstreamed” or “dedicated” deaf schools. So that is why, they, for the majority of them, still need BSL interpreter(s) wherever is needed. Its purpose is to improve their independence-ness in their everyday lives. 😉